HOUSTON TEXANS VS. CHICAGO BEARS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — September 15, 2024

HOUSTON TEXANS VS. CHICAGO BEARS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — September 15, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of several games on Sunday’s slate features the Houston Texans (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) hosting the Chicago Bears (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, September 15, 2024 @ 8:20 PM ET

Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

TV: NBC

Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The one common denominator between the Bears and Texans is that both teams won in Week 1. But that is where the similarities end. The Texans edged the Indianapolis Colts 29-27 in their season opener. C.J. Stroud threw for 234 yards with two touchdowns while completing 75 percent of his passes. Meanwhile, Joe Mixon, who joined the team during the offseason, rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries and scored one touchdown. Houston led the league in rushing with 213  yards in Week 1. Additionally, their 417 total yards ranked second.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans said this about his team’s success with running the football last week.

“The most important factor of our success on Sunday obviously was running the football,” Ryans said via CBS Sports. “Being able to control the game, that was the biggest thing for us. We haven’t had that in a while. So, for us to be able to do that, you see how the game flows much better for us when we’re able to line up and run the football.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Bears fans could not have been overly impressed with the start of the Caleb Williams era. The rookie quarterback finished 14-of-29 for 93 yards. Not only that, but Chicago also failed to score an offensive touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. Despite the ineptitude of the team’s offense (148 total yards), the Bears rallied from a 17-3 deficit to pull out a 24-17 victory, thanks to a pick-six and a special teams score.

Williams could be facing an uphill battle in Week 2, as both Keenan Allen (heel) and Rome Odunze (knee) are listed as questionable for this contest. With or without these additions, the Bears will need to generate more offense. The Titans failed to capitalize on Chicago’s inability to move the football effectively, but that will not be the case against a Texans’ offense that looked formidable last week.

Now that we have set the stage for this Week 2 showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

Following their Week 1 win over the Colts,  the Texans enter this matchup as a 6.5-point favorite (via OddsShark). Here is a glance at how both teams have recently fared against the spread.

• The Texans are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games against the NFC North division.
• Houston is just 3-9 ATS in the last 12 instances in which it was listed as the favorite.
• Meanwhile, the Bears are 6-2 ATS in their last eight outings.
• Chicago is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six matchups against Houston.
• In their last five Week 2 contests, the Bears are 1-4 against the spread.

Prediction: Houston Texans (-6.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup is 45 points (via OddsShark). Here is why you should go with the “under.”

• The total has gone UNDER four times in the Texans’ last six games.
• In Houston’s last nine Week 2 contests, the UNDER total prevailed seven times.
• The total has gone UNDER eight times in the Bears’ last six outings.
• The UNDER  total is 4-2 in Chicago’s last six matchups against AFC  South opponents.

Prediction: UNDER 45 points

Player Prop Bet

The key player to watch in this matchup is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud. He currently has -110 odds of exceeding the 267.5 passing yards threshold and -110 odds of finishing with less than 267.5 yards (via Bet365). Here’s how his recent stats stack up against the projected yards total.

• During his rookie campaign, Stroud averaged 273.9 yards per game.
• Stroud faced off against NFC teams five times last season. In those contests, he averaged 278.8 yards per outing.
• In eight regular-season home games last season, he averaged 310.8 yards in those outings.
• Across his last five outings (including the postseason), Stroud averaged 232 yards per game, exceeding the yards total for this matchup only once during that stretch.

Prediction: C.J. Stroud OVER 267.5 yards