NFL Hall of Fame Game Odds: Everything You Need To Know About Texans vs Bears

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

NFL Hall of Fame Game odds can tell you at least one thing: Football season can't come soon enough for the American sports bettor. Even for games that don't matter, with likely limited time for starters.

Betting won't be crazy Thursday night for the Houston Texas vs Chicago Bears preseason kickoff. NFL odds for the Hall of Fame Game are getting notable attention, even though it appears No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams will not play for Chicago.

Here’s everything you need to know about NFL Hall of Fame Game odds: opening lines, spreads and betting trends, as multiple oddsmakers provide insights. Check back regularly for updates and use our Caesars Sports bonus code to get the most out of your action.

NFL Odds Hall of Fame Game

Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears Odds

• Opening point spread: Bears -2
• Opening moneyline: Bears -130/Texans +110
• Opening total: Over/Under 32.5 points scored
• Time: 8 p.m. ET Thursday (ESPN/ABC)

UPDATE 4:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: With 3.5 hours until kickoff, the total might be the most interesting component of NFL Hall of Fame Game odds. At The SuperBook, it's now at 32.5, after a lot of fluctuation over the past couple of days.

On July 20, The SuperBook opened at 33, and the total briefly touched 34 Saturday. However, by Tuesday afternoon, in the wake of the news that Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams wouldn't play, it was down to 31.5.

The total bottomed out at 30.5 this morning, but it's been on the rise ever since and is now at 32.5.

"There are slightly more tickets and money on the Over, as we stand now," SuperBook risk supervisor Casey Degnon said.

On the spread, the Bears opened -1.5 and got to -2 a couple times. But again, Tuesday's Williams news had an impact, flipping the line to Texans -1.5. This morning, Houston advanced to -2.

"We saw some respected money on Houston +2. And there are more tickets and money on the Texans," Degnon said. "There are no huge decisions either way. We have a slight need to the Bears and Under."

UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET TUESDAY: Moments ago, news broke that Bears coach Matt Eberflus won't have any starters play Thursday night. That includes rookie QB Caleb Williams, who said Monday that he wanted to play.

Reaction was swift at Caesars Sports, with the line flipping from Bears -1.5 to Texan -2 on the NFL Hall of Fame Game odds board. There were stops all along the way, at Bears -1, pick, Texans -1 and Texans -1.5.

"We saw some sharp action on the Texans, as a result of the news. We had one sharp player bet the Texans +1.5, but we were quick to adjust off the news. The others laid the Texans as a favorite," Caesars head of football trading Joey Feazel said. "I expect to see more Texans action as we approach kickoff on Thursday."

With the spread movement, there was a corresponding moneyline move, from Bears -125/Texans +105 to Texans -135/Bears +115. The total also dropped a point, from 32.5 to 31.5.

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET MONDAY: Yes, Chicago now has No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams in the fold. And Houston has 2023 Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. Williams said Monday he wants to play, and he certainly needs the experience. Stroud is less likely to take the field.

Regardless, backup QBs will be out there too, along with plenty of other lesser-light players fighting for roster spots. But the likely lack of star power won't stop at least some football-starved bettors from getting down.

"The Hall of Fame Game is the annual start to football season. Football bettors usually do show up to make wagers on this game, but not nearly to the extent that we expect to see for the Thursday night prime-time opening of the season with the Chiefs and Ravens," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said.

Feazel went on to provide context via a comparison.

"To put it into perspective, this game will take more money than a standalone weekly baseball game, but less than Sunday Night Baseball," he said. "The public is hesitant to bet preseason football games, as the stakes are not the same."

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In Caesars' NFL Hall of Fame Game odds, the Bears opened -2 on July 19 and inched to -1.5 this afternoon. So the moneyline slightly shifted, as well, to Bears -125/Texans +105.

"We opened up slightly higher than the market for the Bears, as we expect the first team to get more reps for the Bears on offense," Feazel said. "It's the highly anticipated debut of Caleb Williams, who should take the field. And you would think the Bears would like to get him as much experience as possible leading into the regular season.

"Action so far has been light. We've seen some action on Texans moneyline and spread. I expect to see a lot more movement when we get closer to game time."

The total opened at a tidy 32.5 and hasn't budged yet in the Texans vs Bears odds market. Feazel noted "slight money" early on the Under.

"The total is very preseason-esque," Feazel said. "Generally, these Hall of Fame Games are not shootouts. Coaches will be very conservative, especially in the second half. We will see lower-end players fighting for a roster spot, and very vanilla play-calling.

"Historically, this game total has been between 31-35 points at close. We should see movement once more information is attained closer to kickoff. We could see this total steam up or down, based on that information."

Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson