Chicago Bears favored against Houston Texans in Week 3

Fresh off the first loss of the season, the Chicago Bears are expected to bounce back in Week 3.

Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet Chicago Sports, released its betting odds for next week’s slate on Sunday evening. The Bears opened as a 2.5-point favorite (juiced to -115), while the Texans are +2.5 (-105) on the spread.

The Bears (1-1) will be ready to turn the page from their 27-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers (1-1) on Sunday Night Football. The Packers controlled the game on both sides of the ball, earning their seventh consecutive victory in this rivalry.

In addition to suffering their first loss of the season, the Bears failed to cover the 10-point spread and are now 1-1 ATS on the year.

The Texans, meanwhile, are coming off a 16-9 road loss to the Denver Broncos. The Texans (0-1-1) have yet to win a game, but they have been more competitive than expected. They covered the double-digit spread in Week 2 and forced a tie in the opener as a touchdown underdog.

In a lot of ways, oddsmakers are actually giving the Texans some credit for their effort through two weeks. When these odds were released in the summer, the Bears were originally a 3.5-point favorite in this particular matchup.

As for the total, the opening mark of 39 points suggests a defensive battle between these two teams. It is the lowest total on the Week 3 slate, with the Monday Night Football matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants (39.5) being the only other game with a mark below 40.

This should be no surprise, of course, as the Bears have gone under their point total in both games and scored a combined 29 points through eight quarters. The Texans have also recorded 29 total points through two weeks and are 2-0 on the under.

Last week, we saw some line movement when the Bears opened as a 9.5-point underdog and the spread immediately moved to 10 within 24 hours. The total also got bet down from 44.5 to 41.5, a steam that was ultimately justified in the end.

It will be interesting to see how the market reacts this week, but my guess is that the spread will touch three at some point before ultimately settling below the key number by kickoff. The total can’t get much lower, but it is difficult to imagine there will be many bettors rushing to bet the over, either.

Bears vs. Texans

Opening spread: Bears -2.5

Opening total: 39