Does Montgomery decide the duel of misery against misery?

The Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans are two teams that will have nothing whatsoever to do with the Super Bowl this season. Even the topic of playoffs should be almost out of reach. The re-build of both franchises simply needs more time.

That was already clear on the first two match days. However, while Chicago has already been able to celebrate a success, the Texans have a draw and a loss. That is one of the reasons why the Bears are favourites against the Texans according to the odds.

Neither Bears QB Justin Fields nor his counterpart Davis Mills have been fully convincing so far. Both playmakers have performed well at times, but have also allowed themselves to make slight mistakes from time to time.

In general, the still young quarterbacks are well advised to offload some responsibility onto the good running backs. The home side in particular has two real running machines in Montgomery and Herbert who can make the difference. With this in mind, a prediction of a home win in the Bears’ clash against the Texans seems more promising.

Chicago Bears – Statistics & current form

The Chicago Bears have already played two matches and celebrated a victory. However, the franchise from the “Windy City” benefited from monsoon-like rain in their 19-10 opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Because an orderly passing game was no longer possible, the better running offence on this day, which the Bears provided, won.

The previous week, however, coach Matt Eberflus’ team was brought back down to earth. Against the Packers, they suffered a clear 10:27 defeat, in which the Super Bowl winners of 1985 were shown the limits. Especially the defence had to struggle with big problems. Aaron Rodgers had an easy time through the air on several occasions, but the runs of running back Aaron Jones could not really be prevented on the ground either.

The offensive burden is on the running backs

But because a very different and much weaker calibre awaits Chicago on Sunday night, we are in good spirits that a bet on a home win will pay off in front of the home crowd in the Bears’ clash against the Texans. Quarterback Justin Fields is a little stronger and more confident than his counterpart Davis Mills. In addition, defensive coordinator Alan Williams is hoping for a clear improvement in the performance of his still young secondary. Rookie Kyler Gordon, in particular, has paid a lot of dues lately and has been Rodgers’ main victim in pass defence.

The strong running back duo Montgomery/Herbert is a clear asset for the Bears, who celebrated just six wins in 17 games last year. David Montgomery in particular is one of the most underrated players in the NFL in our eyes. He racked up over 120 yards against the Packers. With his quick twists and turns he can be dangerous for any defence. It’s quite possible that Montgomery will also score a touchdown on Sunday night. We’d definitely keep an eye on the odds of 2.30 between the Bears and Texans for a bet on that.

Predicted Chicago Bears lineup:
QB: Justin Fields
RB: David Montgomery
WR: Darnell Mooney
WR: Equanimeous St. Brown
TE: Cole Kmet
K: Cairo Santos

Houston Texans – Statistics & current form

Texans fans really don’t have it easy at the moment. While Houston reached the playoffs in 2018 and 2019 as winners of the AFC South, the development curve went in the opposite direction in the past two seasons. In 2020 and 2021, only four games were won. Few other teams were further away from the postseason than the Texans, who continue to search for their franchise quarterback for the next few years.

After the departure of DeShaun Watson, Davis Mills is currently wielding the sceptre in Texas. However, the 23-year-old has so far failed to deliver. In the meantime, the experts who did not believe that the man from Atlanta would have a really successful NFL career have been confirmed. His draft in 2021 was already harshly criticised, after all, Mills played just eleven games in college due to the pandemic before registering for the selection process of the best football league.

The Texans offense is too young and inexperienced

More surprisingly, Mills played well in the opener against the Colts, throwing for two touchdowns and gaining 240 yards passing. However, he could not confirm this in the 9:16 defeat against the Broncos the previous week. Only 177 yards and no touchdown were not enough to save the lead against Russell Wilson and Co. over time. Only 56% of his passes were completed – a value that makes it difficult to win games in the NFL.

Because the Texans also rely on a rookie RB in Dameon Pierce, who still fluctuates in his performances, a forecast of few points in the course of the game can definitely be considered between Chicago and Houston. We think the line around 38.5 points is very promising. We do not believe in a spectacle of two well-functioning offenses. Instead, decent defensive lines should dominate.

Projected Houston Texans lineup:
QB: Davis Mills
RB: Dameon Pierce
WR: Brandin Cooks
WR: Nico Collins
TE: Pharaoh Brown
K: Ka’imi Fairbairn

Chicago Bears – Houston Texans Direct Comparison / H2H Balance

Every four years these two franchises, which do not belong to a common division, meet. 2020 was the last duel. Back then, the Bears had a surprisingly clear upper hand with 36:7. Before that, however, the Texans had won four in a row. In three of the five encounters mentioned, no more than 37 points were scored. In also three games, one of the two teams could only mark a single-digit number of points.

Chicago Bears – Houston Texans Tip

When the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans face off at Soldier Field on Sunday night at 7:00 p.m., two teams that would have had a hell of a season if they had made the playoffs will be dueling. More likely, though, the franchises will once again use the 2022 season to gain experience and ultimately get the highest draft pick possible. That’s all quarterbacks Justin Fields and Davis Mills are giving away right now.

Nevertheless, the head-to-head duel in week three has a special appeal, especially for lovers of rock-hard defence and “low scoring games”. We are convinced that not many points will be scored. The fact that the teams tend to come from the run game alone will ensure that a lot of time runs off the clock and possibly a maximum of 38 points will be scored in the end.

If we had to pick a winner, meanwhile, between the Bears and Texans, we’d prefer a tip on the home side from the Windy City. The reason is the two strong running backs Montgomery and Herbert, who were already convincing against the Packers. In addition, Chicago goes into this match with the self-confidence of having already won one game this season.

Even more attractive in the duel Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans are the betting odds on the aforementioned David Montgomery scoring a touchdown.