Opening Line: Titans Modest Underdogs in Preseason Opener vs. Bears on Saturday
CHICAGO, Ill. — After three weeks of training camp and a very long offseason, the Tennessee Titans finally get to see a different color jersey on Saturday when they open the 2023 NFL preseason in Chicago against the Bears.
The game, which starts at Noon CT, will be televised locally in Nashville as well as across the country on the NFL Network. According to the DraftKings gambling website, the Titans are underdogs, getting 3.5 points. The over/under is 37. For information on how to watch the game, CLICK HERE.
Preseason games by nature are a bit of a crap-shoot because a lot of starters don't play and the second half of games are usually played by guys who won't make the 53-man final roster anyway.
Still, it's football, so knowing the numbers and the edges does make a difference. Here are some things to look at while deciding on a wager:
1. How'd they do in 2022?
The Bears had a new general manager (Ryan Poles) and head coach (Matt Eberflus) in 2022 and finished the regular season with a league-worst 3-14 record. But in the preseason, they won all three games, with wins over the Kansas City Chiefs (19- 14), Seattle Seahawks (27-11) and Cleveland Browns (21-20). They were underdogs in all three games, so they won and covered in each.
The Titans were 7-10 during an injury-ravaged season that included a seven-game losing streak to end the year. In the preseason a year ago, the Titans went 2-1 in the preseason, losing to the Baltimore Ravens 23-10 before winning at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-3) and Arizona Cardinals (26-23). They failed to cover in the Ravens' loss, covered against the Bucs and the final win was a push as 3-point favorites.
2. How are favorites doing so far in preseason?
It's a small sample size, but the favorites are 6-3 so far in the 2023 NFL preseason, both straight up and against the spread. Here are the results so far.
- Aug. 3: The New York Jets (minus-2) lost to the Cleveland Browns 21-16 in Canton, Ohio.
- Aug. 10: The Houston Texans (minus-3) beat the New England Patriots 20-9 in Foxborough, Mass.
- Aug. 10: The Seattle Seahawks (minus-3.5) beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-13 in Seattle, Wash.
Here are Friday night's games:
- Aug. 11: The Pittsburgh Steelers (minus-2.5) beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17
- Aug. 11: The Green Bay Packers (minus-4.5) beat the Cincinnati Bengals 36-19
- Aug. 11: The New York Giants lost at the Detroit Lions (minus-3) 21-16
- Aug. 11: The Atlanta Falcons (minus-2.5) beat the Miami Dolphins 19-3
- Aug. 11: The Washington Commanders beat the Cleveland Browns (minus-3) 17-15
- Aug. 11: The Denver Broncos (minus-5.5) lost to the Arizona Cardinals 18-17
3. Which starters will get more snaps?
It seems like that edge goes to the Bears. According to my Sports Illustrated/FanNation colleague Gene Chamberlain in Chicago, the Bears are planning on starting quarterback Justin Fields getting several snaps with the first team offense to start the game.
There's no telling how long they'll keep the first unit out there, but last year Fields and the Bears starters played into the second quarter. Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill won't play at all, with young QBs Malik Willis and Will Levis getting all the work. No one has any idea what to expect from those two — or the Titans' rebuilt offensive line, so, yes, edge to Bears.
