The Texans (-10) are gearing up to welcome the Denver Broncos to Houston. This early afternoon game gets underway at 1:00 p.m. ET and spectators can watch the action on CBS.
Betting Preview: Houston Texans vs. Denver Broncos
Denver is a noticeable road underdog in this AFC game and is currently getting 10 points. The Broncos are also receiving +325 moneyline odds while the Texans are -475. If one team finds paydirt early it’ll result in a decent in-game betting opportunity. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 41.5 points.
The opening line was originally set at -8 and the game’s over/under was initially 41, so it seems that the sharp action appears to be siding with the Texans.
The Broncos are down 3.2 units so far and 7-5 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been a decent under bet and have posted an O/U record of 5-7.
The Texans are up 3.8 units this season. The team is 6-6 ATS and also owns an O/U record of 5-7.
The Broncos have gone a lousy 4-8 straight up (SU) in 2019 while the Texans are 8-4 SU.
When these two teams met last year, Houston earned the win 19-17.
The Broncos are coming off a 23-20 victory over the Chargers last week. Drew Lock completed 18 passes for only 134 yards, two scores and one interception. Phillip Lindsay (just 58 yards on 17 rush attempts) led the ground attack while Courtland Sutton (four receptions, 74 yards, two TDs) and Freeman (four catches, 13 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
The Houston Texans just earned a 28-22 win over New England in Week 13. The defense let the Patriots pass for 326 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 145 yards. James White was on a different level for New England, putting up 79 rushing yards on 14 attempts, along with 98 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. For Houston, Deshaun Watson completed 18-of-25 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Carlos Hyde (17 rushing yards on 10 attempts) mounted the running game as DeAndre Hopkins (five receptions, 64 yards) and Johnson (five catches, 54 yards, one TD) led the receiving corps in the win.
Looking at offensive play-calling, each squad has a similar (45-55) run-pass ratio on the season. The Broncos have produced 108.3 rush yards per game and have eight touchdowns on the ground this year. The Texans are putting up 129.8 rush yards per game and have 11 total rushing TDs.
The Broncos offense has averaged 209.1 yards through the air overall and has 11 passing scores so far. The Texans have recorded 261.6 pass yards per game and have 24 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Denver appears to have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has let opponents run for an average of 113.7 yards and throw for 223.5 yards per game. The Houston D has given up 278.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 111.1 yards per game on the ground. The Broncos are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 6.06 to opposing QBs, while the Texans have allowed a 7.08 ANY/A.
Offensively, Lock has amassed 134 passing yards this season. He’s connected on 64 percent of his 28 attempts with two passing scores and one interception. He has a 4.61 adjusted net yards per pass attempt.
In the home locker room, Deshaun Watson has completed 248-of-356 passes for 2,835 yards, 21 TDs and six INTs. Watson’s ANY/A sits at 7.11 for the year and 9.66 over his past two outings.
Denver Broncos vs. Houston Texans Free NFL Pick
SU Winner: Texans, ATS Winner: Texans, O/U: Under
Team Betting Notes
- The Denver D has 28 sacks on the year while Houston has 25.
- Houston has lost six fumbles this season while the Denver offense has lost five.
- The Broncos offense has produced eight pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Texans have accounted for nine such plays.
- The Denver defense has allowed seven pass plays of 40+ yards, while Houston has given up eight such plays.
- The Denver offense has created six rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Houston has created 12 such runs.
- The Broncos defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Texans have given up eight such runs.
- The O/U for Houston’s last outing was 47. The over cashed in the 28-22 victory over New England.
- In its last three matchups, Houston is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- Over its last three matchups, Denver is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- Houston has won five of its last six games SU, with a -34-point loss to Baltimore on November 17th representing its only defeat over that span.
- The Over/Under for Denver’s last game going into it was 38.5. The over cashed in the team’s 23-20 victory over the Chargers.
- As a team, Denver has produced 3.9 yards per carry across its past three contests and 4.0 over its last two.
- Houston has averaged 4.1 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 3.2 over its past two.
