Chicago opponents get extra rest before they face the Bears.
With the NFL schedule out for a week, analysts have been able to go over it more deeply.
Just like a lot of modern NFL analysis, many new metrics and ways of looking at things have come up in recent years.
When it comes to the schedule, looking beyond prime time games and the most difficult stretch and divisional games, other things are becoming more important. Especially with the rise in gambling.
Now, more than ever, fans and gamblers are looking for anything that can give them an edge.
Warren Sharp is one of the best at this and he goes deep into the schedule.
One thing he mentions is net rest advantage.
If you’re unfamiliar, it’s very straightforward. How many games do the Chicago Bears have in 2025 where they enter with more rest than their opponent? And how many times does their opponent come in with more rest?
Once the number of games where the Bears have the rest advantage is subtracted from the times the opponent does equals the net.
In 2025 the Chicago Bears have a -3 rest advantage.
They have five games where their opponent comes in on more rest than they have, against just two instances where the Bears have the rest advantage.
The Bears get the rest advantage in week six, coming off their bye week and going to face the Washington Commanders and in week 17 at the San Francisco 49ers, who will be coming off a Monday Night Football game.
The Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints all have a rest advantage over the Bears.
The Bears go to Detroit in week two, coming off Monday Night Football and then host the New Orleans Saints in week seven, also off Monday Night Football. Chicago catches Baltimore off the Ravens’ bye week and face the Packers after Green Bay plays on Thanksgiving the previous week (this is only a one day advantage as Chicago plays on Black Friday). Finally, the Bears again face Detroit in week 18 after the Lions play the previous week on Thursday.
This puts them at a rest disadvantage in three division games as well.
The Lions, by the way, have the most games this season with a rest advantage, eight! They have only one game where they are at a rest disadvantage for a net of seven games with an advantage. Five of their opponents face them off of Monday Night Football.
It’s an interesting problem for Ben Johnson and his staff to navigate, as if the NFL schedule weren’t already hard enough.
And if you want more stats on rest advantage or other teams with favorable schedules, I pulled this information from Warren Sharp’s appearance on The Favorites podcast.