American football is back. After nearly six months without professional football, the NFL preseason begins Thursday when the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans face off in the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. A new Chicago Bears team will take the field. Former franchise quarterback Justin Fields is gone, replaced by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of USC, though Williams won’t play Thursday and will join most of the starters on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the Texans enter the season with plenty of hype after going 11-8, winning the AFC South, eliminating the Browns in the playoffs and reaching the AFC divisional round last season.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Houston is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Bears vs. Texans odds from DraftKings, while the over/under for total points scored is 31.5. Before making any Texans vs. Bears or Hall of Fame Game predictions, you should see what SportsLine NFL expert RJ White has to say, given his expertise in Bears betting tips.
White, CBS Sports’ fantasy and betting editor, regularly crushes picks against the spread and went 643-543-34 on his ATS picks from 2017-23, which returned over $4,600 to $100 players. He also went 101-84-4 (+1366) on all NFL spread picks last season. White also has a good read on the Bears. He’s 64-46-5 (+1539) on his last 115 picks in games involving Chicago. Everyone who’s followed him is well above that.
White has now studied the Bears vs. Texans game from every angle and has just set his picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Texans vs. Bears:
- Bears-Texans spread: Houston -1.5
- Bears vs. Texans Over/Under: 31.5 points
- Bears vs. Texans game result: Chicago +114, Houston -135
- CHI: The Bears ranked second last season in rushing (141.1 yards per game)
- HOU: CJ Stroud ranked third last season in passing yards per game (273.9)
- Bears vs. Texans: Check out the predictions at SportsLine
Why the Bears Can Cover
Although No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams won’t play Thursday, Chicago has proven it can win with backup Tyson Bagent. Bagent was a pleasant surprise as a rookie last season, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 859 yards and three touchdowns. Although he threw six interceptions, the Bears went 2-2 in games he started.
Additionally, Chicago upgraded the running back position this offseason by signing former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift in free agency. At just 25 years old, Swift ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards last season (1,049). That total was also a career high. Find out which team to back here.
Why Texans Can Cover
Houston’s management addressed the team’s biggest need this offseason by bolstering its defense. In April’s NFL draft, the Texans used their first pick, the 42nd overall, to select Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter, then selected USC safety Calen Bullock with the 78th pick. They also added cornerback Jeff Okudah in free agency. The new acquisitions should bolster a unit that ranked 23rd in the league last season in passing yards per game.
Additionally, Houston enters the game with much better quarterback depth than Chicago. Davis Mills made 11 starts as a rookie in 2021 and 15 the following season, when he threw for 3,118 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Case Keenum, 36, has thrown for 15,175 yards and 79 touchdowns in his career. The Bears’ trio of Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien and Austin Reed combined for eight regular-season starts. See which team to pick here.
How to Pick the Bears vs. Texans
White analyzed the Texans vs. Bears and while we can tell you he’s leaning toward the Under on the point total, he also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He shares what it is and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins the Bears vs. Texans in the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game, and what critical factor makes one side of the spread a must-win? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texans vs. Bears spread to back, all from the expert who has a 64-46-5 record on picks in games involving Chicago, and find out.
