The NFL Preseason continues on Saturday as the Tennessee Titans face the Chicago Bears. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a preseason Titans-Bears prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Titans come in off a disappointing 2022 campaign. After starting 7-3, the Titans lost seven straight games, including twice to the Jaguars, to miss the playoffs in the final week of the season. Mike Vrabel, Ryan Tannehill, and Derrick Henry all return, and hope to make a run at the playoffs this year. While Tennesse should have some hope for this year, the route to the playoffs seems to be taking out the Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division. The Titans sit tenth in the best odds to make the playoffs in the AFC according to FanDuel at +198. Still, they are second in the division and have a win total sitting at 7.5, with the over favored. It will not be their head coach Mike Vrabel coaching this game though. He has decided to let assistant Terrell Williams lead the squads in the first preseason game.
The Bears enter the season with high hopes. They are hoping their franchise quarterback Justin Fields can lead them to new heights. Still, after a 3-14 record in which the Bears lost their last ten games, there is a lot of concern in Chicago. Their win total is set at 7.5 wins with a slight favor to the over, but they are last in odds to win the division according to FanDuel. They sit with +172 odds to make the playoffs, which is 11th in the NFC. They are ahead of just the Rams, Commanders, Buccaneers, and Cardinals in odds to make the playoffs.
Here are the Titans-Bears Preseason NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Titans-Bears Odds
Tennesse Titans: +3.5 (-115)
Chicago Bears: -3.5 (-105)
Over: 37 (-110)
Under: 37 (-110)
How to Watch Titans vs. Bears
TV: NFL Network
Stream: NFL+/fuboTV
Time: 1:00 PM ET/ 10:00 AM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Titans Could Cover The Spread
The Titans are being silent on who will start at quarterback in this game. Ryan Tannehill will be the starter come the season, but he missed the end of last year and will be looking to show he is still a starting-level quarterback in the NFL. Meanwhile, Malik Willis was named the number two guy. Last year, while having small flashes of being a capable quarterback, he struggled. He ended up being benched in favor of Josh Dobbs when the season was on the line. While reports are he has looked alright in camp so far, he is fighting for the spot to back up Tannehill. The fight will be with second-round pick Will Levis, who will see his first NFL action in this game.
This should bode well for the Titans in this game. They will have a highly drafted rookie QB during the second half when the Bears will be playing back-ups. Levis may not get to play with the top receiving targets, but he will still get a chance to work with running backs and wideouts vying for the second-team spot. At wideout, he should get time with Racey McMath and Kyle Phillips. Both are young players looking to prove they belong in the mix at wide receiver. Phillips was mainly used in the return game last year, while McMath did see sometimes, but both are listed as third-string guys. Meanwhile, Hassan Haskins will get the first crack at being the backup to Derrick Henry, but Tyjae Spears and Jonathan Ward should get plenty of carries.
Spears was electric in college at Tulane. He may have single-handedly won their bowl game. He showed his abilities to make big plays and dodger tacklers. His skill set is a nice compliment to Henry, and seeing him work against an NFL defense should be a point of emphasis for the Titans. Ward is more of a recovering back. He has spent his NFL career bouncing between practice squads and active rosters. In this game, he will get a chance to show his receiving skills are worth keeping around, while also showing he is a capable back.
Why The Bears Could Cover The Spread
While Tannehill may not play for the Titans, Justin Fields will be the starter for the Bears. The Bears will not play him long, but he will get a chance to show his chemistry with DJ Moore. With an offense that was one of the worst in the NFL in scoring last year, having a big play threat for Fields will be huge. He will also be behind a new offensive line. The Bears signed Nate Davids away from Tennesse and then drafted Darnell Wright with the tenth overall pick. Meanwhile, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet should be on the field, to begin with for the Bears, and that will give them a solid offense for the first few drives.
After Fields, PJ Walker and Nathan Peterman will be taking the snaps. They may not have to do a lot as the Bears are trying to figure out the running back position. Khalil Herbert is currently the top back in the rotations, but multiple guys are aiming for that job. It starts with D'Onta Foreman. Foreman, also a former Titan, is coming off the best year of his career. He ran for 914 yards last year and five touchdowns for the Panthers. Next is the rookie Roschon Johnson. He was primarily the backup behind Bijan Robinson in his career at Texas, so it would take a lot for the fourth-rounder to prove he should be getting a lot of carries at the NFL level.
The Bears did focus heavily on the front seven on both sides of the ball in the draft. While taking a tackle with their first pick, it was Gervon Dexter with their first pick in the second round. The defensive lineman out of Florida. He has been said to be inconsistent in camp so far, but he will look for a chance to prove himself in this game.
Final Titans-Bears Prediction & Pick
The Bears will trot out a starting offense against a defense that will most likely be not playing their key players. While the Titans missed the playoffs last year, they know what they have for the most part. The Bears are trying to figure out what they have. To start the game, that will favor the Bears. They will have the better talent on the field overall. As the game moves on, the talent shifts towards the Titans. This will be a lower-scoring game, that the Titans will cover in.
Final Titans-Bears Prediction & Pick: Titans +3.5 (-115) and Under 37 (-110)