The Houston Texans may be 1-12-1, but they have been pushing some teams at the top of the standings in recent weeks. They led the Dallas Cowboys by three late in the fourth quarter before Dak Prescott led a 98-yard drive to send the Texans to another disappointing defeat. Last week, the Texans took Kansas City to overtime, but the Chiefs ended up winning, 30-24. Tennessee started out 7-3 and looked ready to roll to another AFC South title, but now Jacksonville is closing fast as the Titans have dropped four in a row. The Texans head to Tennessee looking to get a real win instead of another moral victory. Can the Titans stop the losing streak? Check out our NFL betting preview of this divisional showdown.
NFL Preview: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
When: Saturday, December 24, 2022, 1:00 pm ET
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
TV: CBS
Radio: KILT 610 AM Houston / WGFX 104.5 FM Nashville
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Tennessee -4.5 / O/U 37 // Houston +180 / Tennessee -220
Why should you bet on the Texans?
In those two losses to Dallas and Kansas City, the Texans have scored a combined 45 points, even though several of their top skill players have had to miss games due to injury. The Texans have nothing to lose right now, as they already appear to be headed to the #1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, while the Titans have all the pressure on them, as they see their hopes of a division title fading with each passing week.
If you like Houston this week, you see them putting the clamps on Tennessee’s running game. There was a time when the Titans could just hand the ball to Derrick Henry, and he could carry the team to victory, pounding out 100-yard games with regularity – and having that be enough to drive the win. Ryan Tannehill could make enough clutch throws to keep teams from putting eight or nine men in the box. Now, though, the offense isn’t producing enough to win, and the defense has to spend too much time on the field.
Why should you put your money on the Titans?
The Titans’ passing game has fallen off the table since the team traded A.J. Brown to Philadelphia in the off-season. Ownership realized this mistake too late, only giving their general manager the gate after the Titans were embarrassed by the Eagles – and Brown had a huge game against his former team. The Titans do have Treylon Burks to run routes, but he has had to miss time due to the concussion protocol, and Tannehill has just not had the targets he needs down the field.
A silver lining for the Titans is the Houston run defense, which ranks dead last in the NFL, permitting 167.5 yards per game. If the Titans’ O-line can open up some holes and Henry can hit them, the Titans should be able to wear down Houston and get the win. The Titans’ pass rush should also be able to keep Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel from getting comfortable in the pocket.
Final Score and Prediction
It would not surprise me to see Houston come out of Nashville with the upset win, and a lot of bettors tend to agree, as this line has dropped from 8 ½ on a lot of lookahead point spreads. However, this team has shown a lot of mental strength under coach Mike Vrabel, and the Texans haven’t shown that they have the talent to finish. I predict a final score of Tennessee 23, Houston 20.
NFL Betting Odds
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