NFL Expert Picks, Week 1: Bears are BIG favorites over Titans

Chicago Bears fans aren’t used to the positive attention the team has received this offseason. Perhaps it should’ve been the expected result of drafting a generational quarterback prospect who was described as the best to enter the league since Andrew Luck. Maybe it’s what happens whenever a team is featured on Hard Knocks, they become the darling of the NFL. Or, maybe, just maybe, it’s because the Bears have a damn good roster.

We’ll soon find out if the hype is warranted. The 2024 NFL season kicks off on Sunday at Soldier Field against the Tennessee Titans in a game that, if the Chicago Bears are for real, they should win. And that’s not just fandom speaking, NFL experts agree.

According to NFL Pick Watch, 79% of experts selected the Bears to defeat the Titans.

The Titans aren’t the same roster that ended the 2023 season 28th in scoring. Gone is running back Derrick Henry, who’ll be replaced by a committee comprised of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. That feels like a downgrade to me. Will Levis, however, should be better than he was as a rookie, and he’ll have a new game-breaking playmaker at his disposal in Calvin Ridley, who signed a massive deal with Tennesse this offseason.

Still, with so much turnover in the coaching staff and on the depth chart, the Titans will need time to gel early in the season.

MORE: 3 keys to a Bears victory over Titans in Week 1

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have some new pieces of their own. Quarterback Caleb Williams, running back D’Andre Swift, and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze have this offense feeling like a fun post-fantasy draft roster. The offensive line will feature a new center, and the defense welcomes Kevin Byard at safety and a handful of complementary role players.

The Bears look and feel like the more talented team from top to bottom. They’re also playing at home. And it’s Caleb Williams’ pro debut. So, yeah. Trust the experts on this one.