After six long months, the NFL is finally back on Thursday night with the annual Hall of Fame Game, featuring the Houston Texans taking on the Chicago Bears.
Both teams boast hopeful superstar quarterbacks looking to turn these franchises around from recent failures, but given the preseason climate, my Texans vs. Bears predictions look towards team depth.
Let’s get into the best NFL picks for the Hall of Fame Game on August 1.
Texans vs Bears prediction
My best bet
First half Under 15.5 (+105 DraftKings)
My analysis
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has already come out and said none of the starters will play in this game, despite Caleb Williams reportedly requesting to play.
While the Houston Texans haven’t made any public decisions, it would be quite a surprise if we saw the likes of C.J. Stroud, Joe Mixon, and Stefon Diggs. This means we will likely see Tyson Bagent starting against Davis Mills.
Bagent had his moments last season in reserve duty for an injured Justin Fields, while Mills started 26 games in the two seasons before Stroud’s arrival.
Brett Rypien will likely see plenty of time in a position battle with Bagent for the second quarterback roster spot. The veteran has started four games in his career. Meanwhile, the Texans have veterans Case Keenum and Tim Boyle, who will likely split time in a battle for the third quarterback position.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Texans try and get their ground game going early with Dameon Pierce, who needs a confidence boost after losing his job to Devin Singletary last season before the Texans went out and picked up Mixon for this season. The Bears will also be looking at their running game with a massive battle behind D’Andre Swift for a backup role.
Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and Travis Homer will likely be competing for regular-season snaps to spell Swift, as well as fighting for a roster spot, assuming the Bears go with three running backs. I expect to see an early game plan of run-heavy offense from both sides before looking at their quarterback battles later in the game.
With that said, my favorite bet in this game is the first-half Under. While 15.5 is a tiny number, most of these Hall of Fame games don’t even reach 40 points for the whole game. With both teams focusing on the run games early, I expect there to be fewer possessions, and unless they are extremely efficient, won’t surpass 15 total points in the first half.
Texans vs Bears odds
Texans vs Bears live odds
Texans vs Bears opening odds
- Spread: Houston +1.5 | Chicago -1.5
- Moneyline: Houston +105 | Chicago -125
- Over/Under: Over 32.5 | Under 32.5
Texans vs Bears betting trend to know
The first half has averaged 16.0 points in the last seven Hall of Fame games. Find more NFL betting trends for Texans vs. Bears.
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Texans vs Bears game info
| Location: | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, OH |
| Date: | Thursday, August 1, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ABC/ESPN |
| Weather: | 89F, POP 20%, Wind: 8mph |
