Well, football fans, life is finally complete again. The NFL Preseason kicks off with its annual Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 1. Check out our preview and best bet for Texans vs Bears below!
Are you new to betting on the NFL preseason? Our NFLx betting tips article can help put more money in your pocket. Enjoy the game, and best of luck!
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The Houston Texans surpassed everyone's expectations a season ago. New head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie QB CJ Stroud successfully changed the culture of the franchise en route to a playoff run. Management proved that they're "all-in" on proving that 2023 was no fluke, as they brought in Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs in the offseason.
The Chicago Bears endured another disappointing campaign in 2023, but help is on the way in the form of a revamped offense. Chicago drafted Caleb Williams with the first pick the draft and they brought in some nice pieces to help him. D'Andre Swift, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze should make this team more fun to watch in 2024.
With this being the Hall of Fame Game, I highly doubt that Stroud plays more than one series (if at all). The last thing Houston wants to do is risk their new superstar to injury in a meaningless game. That means that the bulk of the snaps will go to Davis Mills and Case Keenum.
The matchup between Mills and Keenum will be intriguing, especially since they'll be battling it out all preseason long for the backup QB spot. Mills is just 25 years old and still has some upside. Keenum is a salty veteran with lots of experience.
The fourth quarter will likely belong to journeyman QB Tim Boyle. The 29-year-old Eastern Kentucky alum saw action in 3 games last year as a member of the New York Jets. Through 20 NFL games, Boyle has thrown just 4 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions.
I'll be interested to see how much Caleb Williams plays in this one. We all know that the former USC star will be the Day 1 starter for Chicago, but I'm thinking head coach Matt Eberflus will want to get him some live reps.
After Williams, the cupboard is quite bare. Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien will each get plenty of snaps, but who knows how much Eberflus will want to sling the ball around. Bagent showed flashes of brilliance last season but Rypien threw just 38 passes in mop-up duty for the Rams.
The fourth quarter will likely belong to Austin Reed, a rookie out of Western Kentucky that's used to a fun-and-gun type of offense. Reed has a big arm, but you have to wonder how calm he'll be in his first pro game.
HOU vs CHI - 8:00 PM EDT
Those who have been reading my column for quite some time know that I always bet the Under in the Hall of Fame Game. It's one of my favorite betting traditions and has served me well for over 20 years. It hasn't cashed as often as it used to, but there's nothing like cheering for punts and defense in our first game back.
We all know that none of either team's first string players will play more than one series, especially since this is looked at as nothing more than a scrimmage. Neither coach is going to want to show too much of their playbook either. Also, defenses are typically ahead of the offenses early on in the preseason.
To lose this bet, both Tim Boyle and Austin Reed will likely have to engineer a drive that results in a touchdown. I just don't see that happening. Let's take the Under for a fun sweat! Man, ain't it great to have football back on TV?