The Houston Texans and Chicago Bears will kick off the NFL preseason when they collide in Canton, Ohio on Thursday in the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Houston took part in this annual exhibition contest in 2002, when it suffered a 34-17 loss to the New York Giants in the first game in franchise history. The Bears are making their sixth appearance in the Hall of Fame Game and won the first four before being edged 17-16 by Baltimore in 2018. Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus has stated that he will not play any of his starters on Thursday, including quarterback Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Houston is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Bears vs. Texans odds from DraftKings, while the over/under for total points scored is 31.5. Before making any Texans vs. Bears picks or 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game predictions, you need to see what SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 against the spread. Hartstein's weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 79-48-2 (62.2%, +25.95 units) since its inception in 2022.
More importantly, Hartstein has a read on the pulse of the Texans. He is 42-27-4 (+1229) on his last 73 against-the-spread NFL picks in games involving Houston. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has locked in on Bears vs. Texans from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread pick for the NFL Hall of Fame Game 2024. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and trends for Texans vs. Bears:
- Texans vs. Bears spread: Houston -1.5
- Texans vs. Bears over/under: 31.5 points
- Texans vs. Bears money line: Chicago +114, Houston -135
- CHI: Bears are 4-1 all-time in the Hall of Fame Game
- HOU: Texans lost their only previous appearance in the Hall of Fame Game (2002)
- Texans vs. Bears picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Bears can cover
With Williams just a spectator, Tyson Bagent will start at quarterback against the Texans. The 24-year-old Bagent signed with the Bears in 2023 as an undrafted free agent and started four of the five games in which he appeared last season due to Justin Fields' injury. He became the first Chicago QB to win his initial NFL start since Craig Krenzel in 2004 when he guided the team to a 30-12 victory against Las Vegas in Week 7.
Brett Rypien and Austin Reed figure to follow Bagent under center on Thursday. Rypien, whose father Mark was Super Bowl XXVI MVP for Washington, has thrown for 950 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 career NFL games - including two with the Los Angeles Rams last season. Signed as an undrafted free agent this year, Reed passed for 8,084 yards and 71 TDs over two campaigns at Western Kentucky.See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Texans can cover
C.J. Stroud, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, also is not expected to see action on Thursday, meaning Davis Mills likely will start under center for Houston. The 25-year-old made 15 starts for the Texans in 2022, throwing for 3,118 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. One of those starts was at Chicago, where Mills completed 20-of-32 pass attempts for 245 yards and a TD in a 23-20 loss.
Journeyman veterans Case Keenum and Tim Boyle also should receive playing time against the Bears, while head coach DeMeco Ryans figures to take a long look at running back Jawhar Jordan, who was selected in the sixth round of this year's draft. The 24-year-old Jordan had the best year of his collegiate career in 2023, rushing for 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns while making 21 catches for 246 yards and a score for Louisville. Dameon Pierce, who struggled and lost his starting job last season after having a strong rookie campaign, also could receive some carries on Thursday.See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Bears vs. Texans picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup from every angle. He's leaning Under on the point total and has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2024 Hall of Fame Game, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein's Texans vs. Bears picks, all from the NFL expert who is on a 42-27 roll on picks involving Houston, and find out.
