2024 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 1

Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears

Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET

It’s the debut of Caleb Williams in front of the home fans in Chicago.

This atmosphere is going to be electric, and while Williams will be the focus, I’m thinking the Bears’ defense will be the ones to really benefit from having that 12th man behind them against a team like the Tennessee Titans.

For those who have been really paying attention, the Bears have quietly assembled a very good defense under general manager Ryan Poles. The big headline moves have been on offense, but Chicago has a good defense and one of the best and toughest secondaries in the NFL. With that unit fully healthy and Matt Eberflus calling plays, the combination of a first-year head coach (Brian Callahan) and young quarterback (Will Levis) could have a rough go of it in Week 1.

The Bears are favored by just four points at home in this one, a pretty reasonable number given you typically favor the home team in toss-up types of matchups, but I have a feeling Eberflus’s defense is going to feast against the new-look Titans.

Now, the wild card here is Will Levis. If Levis comes out and plays as well as we saw him play at points last season, the Bears will be on upset alert. And as much hype as Chicago has received this offseason, you would think this would be some huge upset. But keep in mind, the Bears are working with a lot of new parts as well, especially offensively.

I think we’ll see both of these young quarterbacks go through some growing pains and really have to lean on defense and their running backs. And the Bears come away with a Week 1 win.

Prediction: Bears win 21-16