Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears: Predictions and latest odds for NFL Week 1

Admin September 8, 2024

The NFL season is off and running, with Sunday’s matchups including a clash between the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, who meet in Week 1 action after making some major offseason changes.

The Titans were looking to improve on a 7-10 2022 season, but matched that record en route to a fourth-place finish in the AFC South. Two days after concluding a disappointing 2023 campaign, Tennessee fired Mike Vrabel, appointing former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator, Brian Callahan, as its new head coach in January 2024. The Titans will be hoping a veteran receiver corps featuring Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Boyd will thrive in the new coach’s pass-heavy offense.

Bears ‘Hard Knocks’ takeaways: Caleb Williams shines; where’s the profanity?

The Bears endured a tough 2023, finishing at the bottom of the NFC with a 7-10 record. Chicago blew three double-digit fourth-quarter leads, and decided to hit the reset button. Quarterback Justin Fields was traded to Pittsburgh to make room for 2024 first-overall pick Caleb Williams, who is set to start under center right away. Despite fielding a rookie QB, head coach Matt Eberflus might be under pressure to improve a team that has gone 10-24 in his two seasons in charge.

Titans vs. Bears odds, moneyline, over/under

Per BetMGM NFL odds, the Bears are favorites to kick their 2024 season off with a win.

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Spread: Bears (-4)
Moneyline: Bears (-190), Titans (+155)
Over/under: 44.5 points

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NFL Week 1 odds, predictions and picks

USA TODAY: Bears 27, Titans 18

Lorenzo Reyes writes: “The Caleb Williams era should start fairly well against a rebuilding Titans team. While Williams will almost certainly have learning moments, Chicago’s offensive roster is revamped and Tennessee will be introducing a rookie head coach in Brian Callahan. I like the Bears here quite comfortably.”

Sports Illustrated: Bears 23, Titans 17

Peter Dewey writes: “Last season, Tennessee was just 2-5 against the spread as a road underdog, and [Will] Levis didn’t do enough in his rookie season for me to truly believe in him pulling off this upset. Levis was 3-6 as a starter, but he was just 1-4 on the road… Based on the total, this should be a game in the low 20s, something I’d expect with Williams making his NFL debut. Maybe he lights it up right away, but there’s a chance there will be some growing pains.”

The Tennessean: Bears 28, Titans 24

Nick Suss writes: “Welcome to the new era of Titans and Bears football. Two franchises known for hard-nosed, old-school tactics are modernizing, and a higher score reflects it. The Titans make some big plays and Levis looks the part of a franchise quarterback, but the Bears make a few more plays at home to start the year with a win.”

CBS Sports: Bears 19, Titans 16

John Breech writes: “Since the 2003 season, there have been 15 quarterbacks taken with the top pick and they’ve gone 0-14-1 in their debut game. If you think about it, the stat shouldn’t be that surprising. The top pick usually goes to the worst team in the league and that team is almost always an underdog in Week 1. However, that’s not the situation this year. The top pick DIDN’T go to the worst team in the league because the worst team (Carolina) traded the pick away to the Bears, who are actually a decent team.”