Caleb Williams makes his first NFL start as the Bears face the Titans in Week 1 action. Here is how to bet on the game at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Titans (+3.5) vs. Bears o/u 44.5
Titans Team Breakdown
This will be a new-look Titans offense this season. They hired Brian Callahan, who was formerly the offensive coordinator of the Bengals, as their new head coach. They also brought in new skill position players in WRs Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley, as well as RB Tony Pollard. The Titans bolstered their line on both sides of the ball through the NFL Draft with left tackle JC Latham and DT T’Vondre Sweat. They also brought in center Lloyd Cushunberry to improve that offensive line even more. Tennessee acquired CB Quandre Diggs, CB L’Jarius Sneed and LB Ernest Jones IV to improve their defense which finished 18th in defensive DVOA last season.
Overall, the Titans had a great offseason. The firing of Head Coach Mike Vrabel was questionable at the time, but they have really improved across the board and think Callahan is the right guy to lead this team. He is certainly a great play-caller and, if everything clicks, the Titans could be a dark horse to make the playoffs in the AFC. However, that is also contingent on the improvement of QB Will Levis. Levis was decent in nine starts last season but needs to make a jump under his new head coach if the Titans want to make a push.
Bears Team Breakdown
The Bears have very high expectations in Caleb Williams’ rookie year. Williams is expected to be a good NFL starter right away and the Bears set him up with weapons to succeed. They drafted WR Rome Odunze from Washington to go along with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and tight end Cole Kmet. The Bears also signed RB D’Andre Swift as a real pass-catching threat out of the backfield. The only area of concern for this Bears offense is on the offensive line, but they did bring in a new center, Coleman Shelton, to help improve that unit.
The Bears’ defense really improved as the season went on in 2023. They brought over DE Montez Sweat in a midseason trade and the defense performed well with him in the building. The end-of-season numbers for the unit were around league average, but only looking at the second half of the season, they were a top-10 defense. They should also be helped out by an improved offense.
Pick and Prediction
Long-term, the Bears should be a really good team and Caleb Williams has the potential to be a great NFL quarterback. However, it can be really tough for a rookie in their first career game. This Titans defense did a lot to improve in the offseason and could give Williams a really tough time. Especially as Williams gels with his new targets and this offensive line builds as a unit.
This should be a lower-scoring game as the Bears new offense adjusts and, despite the Titans adding some good weapons, Will Levis might take some time to build momentum this season, as well. A lower-scoring game usually sets up well for the underdog and the Titans brought in some really experienced players to improve their team, while the Bears have much more of a youth movement going on. For this game, the Titans should be able to stay within the number and keep it within a field goal game or win outright.
Best Bet: Titans +3.5
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