NFL Week 1 Preview: Picks & Predictions (Titans vs. Bears)

by Travis Pulver |
Sep 07, 2024

Chicago Bears fans are excited about the NFL season and with good reason. On paper, this team is incredible, but perception does not win games in the NFL, which the Tennessee Titans will be glad to teach them Sunday when the game kicks off at Soldier Field. However, if history is any indication, Bears fans may want to wait until next week before they bet on the team. Why?

We’ll get to that, but first, here is the betting line for today’s Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears game.

Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears: Week 1 Preview

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Details

Opening Lines: Bears -4.5 o/u 43.5
Current Lines: Colts -3.5 o/u 44.5
Location: Soldier Field in Chicago, IL
Start Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Last Meeting: November 8, 2020 - Titans 24, Bears 17

Overview

Caleb Williams, Jaylon Johnson, D’Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and Rome Odunze are some of the names the Bears added to the roster in the offseason, along with several new coaches. With these names and the talent already on the roster, the Bears look like a team that could be pretty good this season.

The key may be the new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron. Can he get his young rookie quarterback ready to face an NFL defense? Is his offense simple enough for his young team without being too easy for defenses to read? Will there be too many kinks to work out in Week 1?

Can he get all these new parts to play as a whole sooner rather than later?

He did take Geno Smith, a career backup, and turned him into a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, so maybe there’s hope. Then again, Smith had been in the NFL for eight years. There’s something to be said for the experience and wisdom that comes with time.

It will help that the Titans are in a rebuilding mode. Longtime running back Derrick Henry is gone, as is quarterback Ryan Tannehill. In his place? Not 2023 third-round pick Malik Willis, but former Kentucky star and 2023 second-round pick Will Levis. Tennessee does not have the benefit of having longtime veteran head coach Mike Vrabel to put the pieces together.

That task now falls to first-year, first-time head coach Brian Callahan.

Callahan became a popular head coaching candidate in the offseason due to his success with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow could have won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 had he not been injured. He bounced back the following season, became an MVP candidate, and led the team to the Super Bowl.

So, if he can have the same kind of success with Levis, a second-round pick, as he did with a former Heisman winner and No. 1 draft pick....

However, while the future may look bright for Wiliams and the Bears, if history is any indication, bettors may want to think twice before putting money down on Chicago. Since 1970, 27 quarterbacks have been selected with the No. 1 pick in the draft. They went 4-22-1 SU and 7-20 ATS in their first start.

The last one to win his first start- David Carr in 2002.

Trends

Home teams were 6-10 in Week 1 last season and 6-9-1 in 2022.
Since 2002, rookie head coaches have gone 19-26 SU and 21-22 ATS.
The public was 139-115-9 ATS last season; the public is backing the Titans ATS, with 68% of handle and 62% of tickets on Titans and the points.
However, the public is backing the Bears to win outright, with 70% of the handle and 93% of the tickets on Chicago.

Bottom Line

There are too many question marks surrounding both teams. The Bears’ roster looks fantastic, but with so many new pieces, how together can we expect them to be in Week 1? As for the Titans, Callahan could have the offense as ready as it ever will be, but the roster is not very impressive on either side of the ball.

We’re leaning towards taking the Bears to win, but we’re betting on the UNDER despite overwhelming public support for the OVER (64% of money; 86% of tickets).

Pick: Under 44 Total Points (-108)

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