Caleb Williams makes his primetime debut as the Chicago Bears visit the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.
The pregame narrative: The lights seemed too bright for Williams and Chicago a week ago. I expect that to carry into Week 2. I’m picking Houston to cover behind a strong game from Joe Mixon. I also like the under on an alternate total to hit.
Check out my Bears vs. Texans same-game parlay predictions for Week 2 below.
Bears vs. Texans same-game parlay predictions
Parlay: Texans -6.5 + Under 49.5 points + Mixon over 70.5 rushing yards (+320)
Texans -6.5 (-103): Chicago appears to have a good defence, but I can’t say the same about its offence.
Williams struggled in his first start. Was it because the Tennessee Titans have an underrated defence? It could be, but even still, his numbers were dreadful. He completed less than 50% of his passes (14-of-29) for a mere 93 yards (3.2 yards per target) with no touchdowns while taking two sacks.
Houston’s defence may not be as strong as Tennessee’s, but the Bears enter this game with some major injury concerns. Keenan Allen didn’t practice and Rome Odunze was limited with an MCL injury.
Houston’s offence is more than capable of producing. C.J. Stroud completed 24-of-32 attempts for 234 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in a Week 1 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Expect the Texans to outpace Chicago and win comfortably.
Other parlay picks
Under 49.5 points (-195): Houston’s offence can score, but Chicago’s remains a question mark.
The unit wasn’t responsible for either of the team’s two touchdowns in Week 1. A blocked punt and an interception led to the Bears’ only touchdowns of the game.
Their defence has been excellent, however, since the midseason acquisition of Montez Sweat in 2023. The team has held opponents to just 17.1 points per game in 10 contests since Sweat joined the fold.
Chicago’s defence should prevent Houston from making this ugly, while I anticipate very little offence from the Bears as Williams hits the road for the first time.
Mixon over 70.5 rushing yards (-117): Another reason why I like the under in this game is because I expect Houston to control it on the ground.
Chicago’s rushing defence was exposed in its Week 1 loss. The Titans totalled 140 yards on 26 carries (5.4 yards per tote) in a losing effort.
Mixon proved there’s still juice left in the tank in Week 1. The veteran runner turned 30 carries into 159 yards in the victory.
A similar workload may be unrealistic, but Mixon’s efficiency and Chicago’s struggles show that he doesn’t need a barrel of carries to have a big day rushing.
This wager also aligns nicely with the game script I’m expecting. Expect Houston to hand the ball off plenty if it’s up big, keeping the clock running on an unproven Chicago offence.
Picks made at 1:14 p.m. on 09/15/24.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.