Get the best odds and expert insights for the Chicago Bears at Houston Texans this Sunday Night Football. Join us for an unforgettable game!
Two of the most talented young quarterbacks in the league will tango on Sunday night when the Houston Texans welcome the Chicago Bears to the Lone Star State. C.J. Stroud was the clear NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. The No. 2 overall pick last season instantly showed he belonged and took the Texans to the playoffs. Now, Caleb Williams is looking to follow in his footsteps in both regards. The No. 1 overall pick in April has a lot of weapons and picked up his first victory last Sunday.
Week 1 Chicago Bears at Houston Texans
Chicago Bears +6.5
Houston Texans -6.5
Total 45
The oddsmakers seem to have sold the Texans short after they squeaked past the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. Houston opened as a five-point favorite by the NFL betting odds, but that number has slowly risen throughout the week. The hosts could close at -7 flat at this point which would be a pretty big swing. Similarly, opening football betting lines put the total at 46.5, but that figure has since dropped by 1.5 points.
Chicago Bears Overview
Chicago was the luckiest team in Week 1. The Bears had no business beating the Tennessee Titans, and they shouldn’t have been able to put 24 points on the board with a mere 11 first downs and 148 total yards. They benefited from a special teams touchdown, a defensive touchdown, and three Tennessee turnovers in the second half. That allowed the Bears to overcome a 17-0 deficit late in the first half.
Caleb Williams did not fare well in his NFL debut. Williams completed just 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards. He didn’t turn the ball over, but the Bears also only mustered 2.2 yards per pass after sacks were taken into account. Both Williams and D’Andre Swift averaged a scant 3.0 YPC on the afternoon too.
There is plenty of talent at the skill positions for the Bears, and the defense also figures to be improved from 2023. Chicago traded for Montez Sweat just before the deadline last season and inked him to a long-term extension shortly afterwards. Tremaine Edmunds is in the second year of a big deal and has had time to adjust, while the secondary is brimming with talent.
Houston Texans Overview
Although the Texans failed to cover the number in Indianapolis last week, Houston looked much better than its divisional rival in the season opener. They had 417 total yards and a whopping 40 minutes of possession against the Colts as offseason addition Joe Mixon ran for a week-high 159 yards (5.3 YPC). Stroud was cool, calm, and collected while completing 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, but he was sacked four times.
Injuries shouldn’t be a big factor for Houston on Sunday night. Wide receiver Nico Collins, tight end Dalton Schultz, and center Juice Scruggs are the only starters with an injury designation. The Texans do have some concerns in the secondary, especially with little depth in the two-deep, but the front seven is stacked and allowed Jonathan Taylor to average just 3.0 YPC last Sunday with a long of seven yards on 16 carries. They effectively bottled up Anthony Richardson for the most part as well, so that bodes well for how they will handle Caleb Williams.
Sunday Night Football Prediction
As long as Houston can limit big plays, the Texans should be able to handily defeat the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Indianapolis had three plays of 50+ yards (two for touchdowns) against Houston last week, accounting for 56.4% of its total yards in the game. The Colts averaged just over 3.5 YPP if you exclude those plays.
Chicago might be without two of its three top receivers on Sunday. Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze both are listed as questionable after missing Thursday’s practice due to lower-body injuries. Those are big potential losses for a rookie quarterback as they are far more talented than their backups, so don’t be surprised to see more mistakes out of the young signal caller.
Final Score: Houston 29, Chicago 13
