The Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans will go head-to-head on the grass at NRG Stadium. This early afternoon matchup is scheduled to get underway at 1:00 p.m. ET and interested parties can tune in to the action on FOX.
Betting Preview: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans
In this Sunday game, Houston is projected as the favorite and the team’s currently giving up 5 points. In order to take the home favorite, moneyline gamblers would currently need to put up $200 to win $100 back on the Texans (-200). The Panthers are getting +170 moneyline odds. Some good in-game betting opportunities may exist during this showdown, and oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 46 points.
Sharp bettors have been siding with both the Texans and the under. The line originally opened at -4 while the over/under was initially 47.
The less-than-stellar Panthers are 1-2 against the spread (ATS) and are down 2.5 units so far. The team has recorded an O/U mark of 2-1.
The Texans are up 1.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 2-1 ATS and have an O/U record of 1-2.
The Panthers have gone 1-2 straight up (SU) in 2019 while the Texans are 2-1 SU.
The Panthers hope to make it two in a row 38-20 victory over Arizona last week. The passing attack was on point as Kyle Allen completed 19 passes on 26 attempts for 261 yards and four touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey (153 rushing yards on 24 attempts, one TD) spearheaded the ground attack. Greg Olsen (six receptions, 75 yards, two TDs) and Curtis Samuel (five catches, 53 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Houston just earned a 27-20 win over the Chargers in Week 3. Deshaun Watson completed 25-of-34 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns. Carlos Hyde (19 rushing yards on 10 attempts, one TD) led the running game as DeAndre Hopkins (six receptions, 67 yards) and Will Fuller V (five catches, 51 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Carolina has run the ball on 38.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Houston has an overall rush percentage of 43.6 percent. The Panthers have produced 113 rush yards/game and have four touchdowns on the ground this year. The Texans are putting up 115 rush yards per game and have three total rushing TDs.
It seems like the Panthers could hold an edge along both the offensive and defensive fronts, since their offensive line has given up only 32 sacks while the D-line registered 35 sacks. The Texans offensive line has allowed 62 sacks and their defense has forced only 43 sacks.
The Panthers offensive scheme has averaged 277.7 yards through the air overall and has four passing scores so far. The Texans have put up 259.3 pass yards per contest and have six total pass TDs.
Defensively, Carolina should have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 129 yards and pass for 189 yards per game. The Houston defense has allowed 300.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 108.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Panthers are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.73 to opposing QBs, while the Texans have given up a 6.73 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Newton has put up 572 yards this year, and has connected on 50-of-89 attempts with zero passing scores and one interception. He has a 5.09 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 5.80 over the last two outings.
In the other locker room, Deshaun Watson has completed 45-of-64 passes for 619 yards, six TDs and one INT. Watson’s ANY/A sits at 8.97 for the year and 7.74 over his last two games.
Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans Free Betting Pick
SU Winner: Texans, ATS Winner: Texans, O/U: Under
Team Betting Notes
- The Panthers offense has produced three pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Texans have accounted for two such plays.
- The Carolina defense has allowed one pass play of 40 yards or more, while Houston has given up two such plays.
- The Carolina offense has created two rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Houston has created three such runs.
- The Panthers defense has allowed three rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Texans have given up two such runs.
- The Carolina defensive unit has sacked opposing quarterbacks 12 times this season. Houston has produced 10 sacks.
- Carolina, as a team, has averaged 4.2 yards per carry over its last two matchups.
- Houston has averaged 3.4 yards per carry over its last two.
