The NFL is back as the Tennessee Titans travel to Illinois to start the season against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. We're live from the Windy City, sharing our NFL odds series, and make a Titans-Bears prediction, and pick.
The Titans went 6-11 last season and missed the playoffs. Now, they hope to bounce back. Quarterback Will Levis is back and hopes to improve on a season where he passed for 1,0810 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. But the Titans lost Derrick Henry. Therefore, they signed Tony Pollard. Pollard will pair with Tyjae Spears, who rushed 100 times for 453 yards and two scores last season while also catching 52 passes for 385 yards and one score.
DeAndre Hopkins has a knee sprain and might not suit up in Week 1. This is a big hit after he had 75 catches for 1,075 yards and seven touchdowns. Thus, they might rely more on new receiver Calvin Ridley, who chose Tennessee over Jacksonville.
The Titans also lost leading passing rusher Denico Autry. Ultimately, they will rely more on Harold Landry III to lead the pass rush after gathering 10.5 sacks last season.
The Bears have a new quarterback after drafting Caleb Williams. Furthermore, they signed D'Andre Swift. DJ Moore returns after catching 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns. Likewise, tight end Cole Kmet had 73 catches for 719 yards and six scores. Chicago also signed Keenan Allen and drafted Rome Odunze to help Moore and Kmet.
The defense is looking better than ever. TJ Edwards returns after leading the team with 153 tackles. Also, Montez Sweat is back after getting six sacks. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson had four interceptions.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Titans-Bears Odds
Tennessee Titans: +3.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +164
Chicago Bears: -3.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -196
Over: 44.5 (-114)
Under: 44.5 (-106)
How to Watch Titans vs. Bears
Time: 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Titans Could Cover The Spread/Win
New head coach Brian Callahan takes over and has serious plans for the Titans to run the ball. Now, with the signing of Pollard, he has a good 1-2 punch to use, as Spears will factor in.
The Titans need Levis to manage the system well, which means avoiding boneheaded mistakes. Doing this will help get Pollard and Spears into open space and allow more chances for Ridley. For the Titans to truly thrive on offense, they need their offensive line to improve. It will look a lot different without Henry running behind them. Plus, they will need to keep Levis intact.
The new-look defense will focus on being aggressive and hope to force more turnovers. Last season, this defense managed just six interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Thus, it must do more and will have a difficult challenge against Williams.
The Titans will cover the spread if they can establish the running game, move the chains, and eat the clock. Additionally, their defense must pressure Williams.
Why The Bears Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Bears will look a lot different. Ultimately, this is a new offense, with a new quarterback. Williams will be the main factor here and will attempt to start his NFL career on a high note.
Williams will try to get up to speed with Shane Waldron's attack. Overall, this offense can be deadly if the players can execute. But there is one thing to be aware of. Unfortunately, Waldron's offense declined from 11th to 18th to 28th in running the ball in three years in Seattle. The Bears must find ways to run the ball efficiently.
The defense will look to run it back. 31-year-old safety Kevin Byard will face his former team for the first time and be more motivated to do the job. Amazingly, this defense had 22 interceptions last season, which was an NFL high. This was because of a pass rush that was able to disrupt the flow of the game and a secondary that has gotten better throughout the last few seasons.
The Bears will cover the spread if Williams can push the ball down the field and the Bears can formulate a running game. Then, they need the defense to rattle Levis and prevent the Titans from creating a groove on offense.
Final Titans-Bears Prediction & Pick
The Titans lead the series 7-6. Furthermore, they won the last match 24-17 on November 18, 2020. The Bears have not beaten the Titans since 2012. Moreover, they have never defeated the Titans at Soldier Field. The last time the Bears won at home in this matchup was when the Titans were the Houston Oilers in 1995.
The Titans are a team that is trying to stay relevant and respectable. Conversely, the Bears look to be on their way up. The Titans are just 5-7 over the past 12 Week 1 games. Meanwhile, the Bears are 42-39-1 in Week 1 games overall. Here is a crazy stat: number-1 quarterback picks in the NFL draft are 0-14-1 in the past 15 NFL debuts. Somehow, the last top pick to win his first game was David Carr in 2002. Because of the high expectations, it is challenging to see Williams just dominating in his first game.
Final Titans-Bears Prediction & Pick: Tennessee Titans: +3.5 (-104)