2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game odds, spread, time: Texans vs. Bears predictions, picks by expert who's 42-27

The 2024 NFL preseason gets underway when the Chicago Bears meet the Houston Texans in the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game on Thursday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Chicago endured its third consecutive losing season in 2023, going 7-10 to finish last in the NFC North, but has reason for hope after selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Houston won its seventh AFC South title with a 10-7 record last year after recording a total of 11 wins over the previous three campaigns.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Chicago is a 2-point favorite in the latest Bears vs. Texans odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 32.5. Before making any Texans vs. Bears picks or 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game predictions, you need to see what SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein has to say .

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 against the spread. Hartstein's weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 79-48-2 (62.2%, +25.95 units) since its inception in 2022.

More importantly, Hartstein has a read on the pulse of the Texans. He is 42-27-4 (+1229) on his last 73 against-the-spread NFL picks in games involving Houston. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Hartstein has locked in on Bears vs. Texans from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread pick for the NFL Hall of Fame Game 2024. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks . Here are several NFL odds and trends for Texans vs. Bears:

• Texans vs. Bears spread: Chicago -2
• Texans vs. Bears over/under: 32.5 points
• Texans vs. Bears money line: Chicago -130, Houston +110
• CHI: Bears are 4-1 all-time in the Hall of Fame Game
• HOU: Texans lost their only previous appearance in the Hall of Fame Game (2002)
• Texans vs. Bears picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Bears can cover

Chicago thought it drafted its quarterback of the future when it selected Justin Fields 11th overall in 2021. Three years later, the team believed a better option was available in Williams and traded Fields to Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after setting school records at USC with 4,537 passing yards and 42 touchdown tosses while also rushing for 10 scores, has expressed a desire make his NFL debut on Thursday and give Bears fans a glimpse of his talent.

Last season at USC, Williams' numbers were down from the previous year, as he threw for 3,633 yards and 30 TDs. However, with 11 touchdowns on the ground, he became the first FBS quarterback with at least 30 TDs passing and 10 rushing in back-to-back campaigns since Patrick Mahomes (2015-16 with Texas Tech). Chicago also could have its other 2024 first-round draft pick on the field in wideout Rome Odunze , who was selected ninth overall from Washington to add to a much-improved receiving corps for Williams. See who to back at SportsLine .

Why the Texans can cover

Houston is coming off a season in which it became the first team in NFL history to win its division with both a rookie quarterback ( C.J. Stroud ) and head coach ( DeMeco Ryans ). Stroud, who had 4,108 passing yards with 23 TDs and only five interceptions, and DE Will Anderson Jr . were the fourth set of teammates ever to be named Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year. The 22-year-old Stroud is unlikely to play against the Bears, leaving QB duties to veterans such as Davis Mills , Case Keenum and Tim Boyle .

The 25-year-old Mills made 11 starts as a rookie in 2021 and 15 the following season, when he threw for 3,118 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Keenum, 36, began his NFL career with Houston in 2013 and returned last year, completing 34-of-53 pass attempts for 291 yards with a TD and three interceptions while starting two games. In 2023, Boyle was released by the New York Jets after going 48-of-77 for 360 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions in three contests (two starts) before being signed to the Texans' practice squad. See who to back at SportsLine .

How to make Bears vs. Texans picks

Hartstein has analyzed this matchup from every angle. He's leaning Under on the point total and has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine .

Who wins the 2024 Hall of Fame Game, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein's Texans vs. Bears picks, all from the NFL expert who is on a 42-27 roll on picks involving Houston , and find out.