Playing The Total On Sunday Night Football

Bears vs. Texans, 8:20 ET

We've reached that point in the Sunday NFL day where we have just one primetime game. That's right, we are focused on Sunday Night Football for this play. I know my buddy Geoff Clark has a play in this one, and I highly advise listening to him and his podcast. However, I'm going to take a shot on this one as I feel like we have a good opportunity for a play here. Let's take a look at how we should bet the game between the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans as they take each other on Sunday night.

If you're from Chicago, you spent most of the offseason hearing about how Caleb Williams was going to be the best quarterback of all time. You probably heard how he was going to revolutionize the franchise, transform the abysmal offense, and give the people something the Bears franchise has never had - a true, franchise quarterback. Game one didn't exactly go along with that script, but as I told most of the Bears fans I speak with, give him a bit of a break. Williams will take a bit of time to adjust to the game. He can make all the throws he needs to make, and most of the ones that other quarterbacks can't. He has a stacked receiver room, a good tight end, and a solid running back. His offensive line will still need to do their part to give him time, but Williams will certainly get better. The reason the Bears are 1-0 is once again because their defense is very good. They put a ton of pressure on the quarterback and have a way to capitalize on the mistakes and force turnovers. While they played a Titans offense that I am not impressed with, the team has been clicking on defense since last season when they added Montez Sweat. They will have a tough time against a talented Houston offense. CJ Stroud has quickly become a great quarterback in the league and the receivers are going to get open against the Bears secondary. 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 08: D'Andre Swift #4 of the Chicago Bears bobbles a handoff from Caleb Williams #18 during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field on September 08, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

The Texans started their season on the road against the Colts in a difficult spot. Playing against a divisional foe, on the road, in the first game of the season is not exactly how you'd want to draw it up, but they pulled it off. Stroud was very good in the game, going 24-for-32 with 234 passing yards and two touchdowns. What was most shocking to me was how involved Joe Mixon was in the game. He racked up 159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Mixon hasn't had 30 carries since 2021 and this was the first time that he got over 150 yards since 2022. The Texans defense was good against the Colts and Anthony Richardson. Richardson was able to to complete just 9-of-19 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. they did rather well against the ground game, allowing just 104 yards on 22 rushing attempts. The defense probably doesn't need to be at their best in this game though. Even though Williams is likely to play better, I'm not expecting him to fully settle into the offense for a few games. 

If you're looking for my thought on the side of this game, I'll tell you this: I don't think the Bears are going to win it. I also think the Texans probably cover it, but we might be overreacting a bit that the Bears are getting six points. Instead, I am going to take the under for this game. I don't expect either team to get to 25 points in this one. I think the Bears offense will need some more time to mesh, and the Bears defense should hold down the Texans. I'll take under 45.5 in this one. 

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