Many NFL observers were surprised when the Houston Texans delivered a 45-14 beating of the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round of the playoffs, but Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was not one of them. Harbaugh saw the Texans when the Ravens beat them, 25-9, in Week 1, and at that time, Harbaugh predicted that the Ravens were going to win a lot of football games this season. The Texans started the season just 3-4 but then went on a three-game winning streak that got the Texans cooking. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has the best TD:INT ratio in the NFL (23:5), and he threw for 274 yards and three scores against Cleveland, becoming the youngest NFL quarterback ever to win a postseason game (22 years, 102 days). Can the Texans keep the magic going in Baltimore? Read on to get our NFL betting prediction for this AFC showdown between Texans vs Ravens.
2024 NFL Texans vs Ravens NFL Preview: AFC Divisional Playoffs
When: Saturday, January 20, 2024, 4:30 pm ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: ABC/ESPN
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: ESPN+
NFL Odds: Baltimore -9 / O/U 44 // Houston +325 / Baltimore -450
Why should you bet on the Houston Texans?
The sky appears to be the limit for the Houston offense, which dropped 31 points on the league’s top defense in the Texans’ humiliation of the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card playoff round. The other 14 Houston points came from a pair of pick-sixes in the second half, thrown on consecutive possessions. C.J. Stroud has the third-highest QBR in the league since Week 16, and he has a chemistry with wide receiver Nico Collins that has brought some torchings in the last few games.
What about the Houston defense? Edge rusher Will Anderson Jr, a rookie himself, is leading a front seven that has terrorized quarterbacks in the last quarter of the regular season. Joe Flacco simply did not have time to make good decisions for the Browns last week. Lamar Jackson is significantly more mobile than Flacco, but he has shown that he can make poor decisions of his own when he’s feeling the pressure. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Houston force an early turnover or two and make this game’s margin razor-thin.
Bet on the Texans to Win Today
| Texans vs Ravens NFL AFC Divisional Round Picks Odds Subject to Change |
SPREAD | MONEYLINE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | -9 | -450 | U 44 |
| Houston | +9 | +325 | O 44 |
Why should you put your money on the Baltimore Ravens?
If we take a closer look at C.J. Stroud’s numbers, we learn that the road hasn’t been a friendly place for him. He made seven road starts this season, and the Texans went just 3-4 in those games. He threw for 231.7 yards per road game with six touchdown passes. He completed 62.0% of his passes and posted a combined 91.5 quarterback rating. At home, he threw for almost 80 more yards per game, had 11 more touchdown passes and completed 65.5% of his passes. The numbers in outdoor games are even more daunting; in five games outside a dome, he threw only three touchdown passes with a combined quarterback rating of 85.1.
The Ravens also finally went out and got a pair of quality wide receivers for Lamar Jackson. Instead of a collection of retreads, the Ravens have Odell Beckham Jr and rookie Zay Flowers putting up big numbers in the passing game. With Gus Edwards presenting a legitimate threat as a ball carrier, the Ravens have a running game in addition to what Lamar Jackson can do with his legs. This balance has Jackson on the way to a second MVP trophy. Combined with the second-best defense in the NFL, the offense has led the way to a +203 point differential, best in the league – as well as double-digit wins against five playoff teams (Houston, Cleveland, Detroit, San Francisco, and Miami).
Bet on the Ravens to Win Today
Texans vs Ravens Final Score and Prediction
I think Baltimore can grind this win out, but the point spread has already dropped from Houston -9 to -8 as bettors recognize that the Texans have the personnel and the scheme to keep this game closer than a touchdown. I predict a final score of Baltimore 27, Houston 23.
Odds to Win the Super Bowl 58
| Team Odds | |
|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers +175 | Baltimore Ravens +275 |
| Buffalo Bills +450 | Kansas City Chiefs +800 |
| Detroit Lions +1000 | Green Bay Packers +2800 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3300 | Houston Texans +3500 |
Live Super Bowl 58 Betting Odds For Today
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NFL Preview: AFC Divisional Playoff (Sunday, January 22)
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills
Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills will arrive at Highmark Stadium with plenty of motivation in their AFC divisional playoff game on Sunday. The Bengals bring some anger at the perception of disrespect; even though they beat Kansas City in the regular season and could have passed the Buffalo Bills in the standings with a win in Week 17, the cancellation of that matchup left the Bengals unable to compete for the AFC’s top seed. The league recognized the disadvantage for the Bills, designating Atlanta as a neutral-site conference championship should Buffalo and Kansas City advance, but they did not do so for the Bengals; if they face the Chiefs, they would have to do it in Kansas City. The Bills, of course, have Damar Hamlin to play for, along with a community that suffered from a mass murder back in August – as well as the disappointments of postseasons past. Let’s break down your best NFL betting choice for this exciting showdown.
When: Sunday, January 22, 2023, 3:00 pm ET
Where: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
TV: CBS
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Buffalo -5.5 / O/U 49 // Buffalo -240 / Cincinnati +196
→ Why should you bet on the Bengals?
The Bengals overcame some difficulties on offense to knock off Baltimore in the wild-card round. Even though the Ravens did not have Lamar Jackson at quarterback, their running game kept the Bengals off balance, and their front seven kept the Bengals from establishing running rhythm as well, forcing the team into third-and-longs on multiple drives. Joe Burrow did go 23 of 32 but only threw for 209 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown, but the key play came on defense, as Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley fumbled on a sneak, and Bengals defensive lineman Sam Hubbard grabbed the ball and raced 98 yards to the house.
The Bengals have issues on their offensive line, as they might have as many as three of their starters out once again. That led to Burrow taking four sacks against the Ravens and the duo of Samaji Perine and Joe Mixon combining to pick up fewer than 50 yards on the day. The Bengals were seventh in the league in scoring for the regular season, and they were fifth in turning red-zone chances into touchdowns, but they will need to keep that scoring up against a Buffalo team that can score quickly.
→ Why should you put your money on the Bills?
The Bills are just about unbeatable when they are focused. In their wild-card game against the Miami Dolphins, they roared out to a 17-0 lead, but then they lost focus, and while Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes, he also had two picks and a fumble. That put the pressure on the Buffalo defense to get takeaways (and they did get a pair). So even though Buffalo gained almost twice as many yards as the Dolphins, they only won by three (34-31). The Bills are third in fewest points permitted per game, and the offense is second in points per game, but it is these dangerous moments when the team seems to take its eye off the ball that have to alarm Buffalo fans.
→ Final Score and Prediction
This game could turn into a track meet, but the Buffalo defense should be able to take advantage of Cincinnati’s patchwork offensive line. It’s hard to count out Joe Burrow in any matchup, which makes this line’s movement from Buffalo -4 to Buffalo -5.5 a bit interesting. I think the Bills can win this late, but I don’t see them pulling away. I predict a final score of Buffalo 31, Cincinnati 27.
