Texans vs Bears Odds
| Texans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2 -115 | 32.5 -115o / -105u | -140 |
| Bears Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2 -105 | 32.5 -115o / -105u | +120 |
It's finally here. After nearly six long, football-free months, we're finally seeing the return of the NFL on Thursday night.
You know the drill by now, it's the Hall of Fame Game from the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. This year, we're being treated to Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN. Neither team has been in training camp for two weeks, but football is football.
So, ahead of our first bets of this new NFL preseason, let's get into the details and make a Texans-Bears pick.
Sam Farley Makes His Texans Bears Pick for 2024 Hall of Fame Game
Mills & Keenum Under Center for Texans
The Houston Texans come into the preseason and the Hall of Fame Game with lofty ambitions after an exceptional first campaign for head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback CJ Stroud, who lit up the NFL as a rookie.
Last year is firmly in the rear-view mirror, though, and we need to consider how the Texans will stack up in their preseason opener.
We know that teams will protect their stars in preseason, and last year's Hall of Fame Game saw depleted rosters for the Browns and Jets. We can expect both teams here to do similar.
Last year, Stroud barely played in the Texans' opening preseason game, completing just two of four passes for 13 yards while being intercepted. He played more in their second game before seeing just a couple of snaps in their final warmup.
That was as an untested rookie. Now, as a starter and one of the most promising young QBs in the NFL, it seems very unlikely we'll see Stroud at all. Ryans grinned and said, "We'll see," when asked about Stroud taking part in the game. In all likelihood, he won't play a part.
That should mean a heavy dose of Davis Mills with Case Keenum and Tim Boyle both likely to play under center.
Bagent Starts for Williams-less Bears
Head coach Matt Eberflus leads the Chicago Bears into his third season as head coach, and he'll be hoping that Caleb Williams — the first player taken off the board in this year's NFL draft — will be the man to transform their fortunes.
We already know that Williams won't be playing in this game, meaning that Tyson Bagent will get another chance to demonstrate what he can offer. He went 2-2 as a starter for the Bears last season, showing some playmaking ability while making it clear why he's a backup.
Eberflus' Bears are 4-2 in the preseason and will hang their hopes on their defense in this game. That defense improved throughout last season, but the majority of the defensive stars will be on the bench in this game, so we'll get a chance to see if the system is just as effective with lesser talent.
The Bears won three of their last four games last season, largely because of their defense. The unit had some incredible showings, including holding the Lions to just 13 points.
Chicago will fancy its chances against a Texans team that will be without Stroud and struggled to run the ball in 2023.
Bet Houston vs. Chicago at FanDuel
Texans vs Bears Pick
Ultimately, preseason games often come down to one thing: quality up and down the depth chart. With the majority of the starters seeing very limited time on the field — especially in their preseason openers — that leads us to look at the quarterbacking options (since the most important position in football is obviously key here). That starts tonight with the Hall of Fame Game.
Tonight at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, we'll see Bagent, who showed glimpses of something last season, but Brett Rypien and Austin Reed are unlikely to set the game on fire.
Meanwhile, the Texans have real experience with Mills and Keenum, as well as Boyle. Mills and Keenum aren't elite talents, but they can manage a game and have a combined 114 NFL outings between them, the majority of which were starts.
That experience and knowledge should be enough for the Texans to cover for the Hall of Fame Game.
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