Bears vs. Texans game picks: Can Chicago pull off the upset in Week 2?

The Chicago Bears (1-0) will battle the Houston Texans (1-0) on Sunday Night Football, where Chicago is looking to upset a potential Super Bowl contender in prime time.

The Bears are coming off an impressive comeback win over the Tennessee Titans, where the defense and special teams each scored a touchdown as Chicago scored 24 unanswered points for the victory. But the offense notably struggled, mustering just 148 total yards and failing to score a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Texans are coming off a close divisional win against the Indianapolis Colts, where the defense gave up some explosive plays but the offense dominated time of possession and was able to outlast the Colts.

Heading into this prime-time matchup, the Bears are definitely the underdog. But will Chicago be able to continue their dominance over the AFC South with an improbable win over the Texans on Sunday Night Football? Our Bears Wire staff share their game picks for Sunday's matchup.

Alyssa Barbieri (1-0): Texans 24, Bears 17

The Bears have notably struggled on Sunday Night Football, where they’ve lost their last seven straight. It also doesn’t help that they’ve facing C.J. Stroud and the reigning AFC South Champion Texans, a team many have pegged as Super Bowl contenders. Before Chicago’s season opener last week, I would’ve said I expect this to be a competitive game. But the offensive struggles where rookie Caleb Williams had a rough first start behind a shaky offensive line and with Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen both potentially out, it doesn’t give me much confidence about what they can achieve against a DeMeco Ryans-coached defense. Although, if the Bears can give Williams time in the pocket, there are opportunities to attack Houston’s secondary that allowed several explosive plays to the Colts in their season opener.

If Chicago stands a chance in this game, they’re going to need another heroic performance by the defense, which means slowing the Texans down both through the air – with Stroud and his arsenal of weapons – and one the ground – with Joe Mixon, who leads the NFL in rushing yards. They’ll also need more of that takeaway magic, which played a huge role in their comeback win against the Titans in Week 1. But if the Bears can get consistent pressure on Stroud, anything can happen.

Best case scenario is Chicago is able to keep things close for three-plus quarters – thanks to their dominant defense – before Houston ultimately pulls away.

Brendan Sugrue (1-0): Bears 26, Texans 24

Over the last five years, Bears fans have not been waiting all day for Sunday night. The Bears are 0-7 on Sunday Night Football, with their last win coming in 2018 against the Los Angeles Rams. Finally, though, the streak comes to an end, and like that 2018 squad, it will be thanks to their defense.

The Houston Texans are a very good team, but are they great? Their 2023 campaign was a lot sloppier than people remember, and they were second-to-last in point differential for division winners with 24. CJ Stroud is an ascending player, and he should not be taken lightly. Still, can he light up the scoreboard against this Bears defense? He struggled last year against the New York Jets, who had a top unit then as well. Stroud performs well when he’s pressured, which means it comes down to the cornerbacks and safeties. This Bears secondary can match up well with Houston’s receivers, which will force Stroud to be accurate with his passes. It’s also worth noting that Joe Mixon isn’t getting 150 yards against Chicago’s front seven.

Offensively, the Bears have vowed to get things right, from getting their playmakers more snaps to cleaning up the details in both the run and pass game. It’s still a work in progress, and aside from ill-timed turnovers, it can’t get much worse than last week, right? Caleb Williams may not have his coming-out party yet, but it’s going to be much better than 93 passing yards.

This is a game where no one is picking the Bears, and I don’t blame them. They don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt yet. This defense looks like something special, though, and they relish the opportunity to go up against one of the better teams in the league. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and the defense will once again be the reason Chicago escapes with a win.

Vinnie Parise (1-0): Bears 24, Texans 17

Most people are coming into Sunday's slate of games believe that the Chicago Bears are going to drop their game to the Houston Texans. Houston is a team that made the playoffs last year on the back of their incredible then-rookie quarterback CJ Stroud.

The expectations are high for Houston and rightfully so entering Stroud’s second NFL season. However, the Bears are a good football team too. Their defense proved that they can mostly hold anybody off the scoreboard for long durations of time and even produce points.

If Caleb Williams and the offense are able to get something going this week and the defense continues to dominate, they can win this game. Beating this great Texans team would show the world that the Bears are coming. There are plenty of ways that they can get this done.

Mike Pendleton (1-0): Texans 27, Bears 20

It’s really hard to believe in this team after Will Levis and the Titans handed them a comeback victory. It was said after the game and it’s hard to argue that the Titans beat themselves, the Bears didn’t beat them. The offense was absolutely atrocious and with Rome Odunze potentially set to miss the game, losing a weapon doesn’t help one bit. Eyes will be on center Coleman Shelton who seemed to get bullied up front against Tennessee and put Caleb Williams under plenty of pressure.

This game should be billed as Williams vs Stroud, but with the offensive woes clearly taking the headlines, it’s hard to be optimistic about this primetime matchup. If there’s a miracle turnaround by the offense, it’d be a welcome surprise but this feels like another game that would have to be won by defense and special teams.

Preston Comer (1-0): Texans 23, Bears 13

I want to be optimistic about this offense. I really do. But after how much it struggled against Tennessee, I don’t think the turnaround for success will only take one week. The goal for the Bears on offense early in this game should be to get Caleb Williams comfortable. Rome Odunze might be out, but play calling wise, Shane Waldron needs to put his playmakers on the field and make it easy for Williams to get them the ball.

Like I said, I don’t think those adjustments can be fully made and executed with just a week of practice. The Bears’ defense will have a tall task with C.J. Stroud and a receiver trio of Tank Dell, Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. I expect the defense to bend, but not break. Regardless, I doubt we see the defense carry the Bears’ to another win.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Texans game picks: Can Chicago pull off the upset in Week 2?