CINCINNATI vs HOUSTON
When: 12/27/2020 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -7.5
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , CINCINNATI

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -7.5 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.

The image of Deshaun Watson gazing in disbelief after another costly late-game fumble against the Indianapolis Colts is sure to linger with Houston Texans fans.

The quarterback and the Texans (4-10) will attempt to rebound Sunday when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (3-10-1).

Watson had once again dragged the short-handed Texans to the brink of victory with his exceptional play against the Colts, only to be undermined by a second red-zone turnover in three weeks. Houston lost each of those two games to Indianapolis on either side of a loss at Chicago.

The juxtaposition of the results for the Texans this season against Watson and his impressive performances will resonate into an offseason during which the Texans will have multiple needs to address, including vacancies at head coach and general manager.

Watson is the one constant. No one would question his bona fides as a top signal-caller, considering he ranks second in the NFL in passing yards (4,134) and passer rating (110.6) despite attrition at the Texans’ skill positions.

“I think all of that will make him better because he’s able to adapt to the receivers that he has on the field and he can still put up the good numbers,” Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “I think that when he gets a consistent crew, that’ll just make him better down the line.

“Even though he’s had good numbers, I think that he will say that the fact that we’re not winning doesn’t satisfy him. I think his choice would be to have good numbers and to have a lot of wins to go along with it.”

The two demoralizing losses to Indianapolis left the Texans assured of a losing record this season following back-to-back AFC South division titles.

The Bengals’ 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday qualified as impressive at face value. Cincinnati was riding a five-game overall losing streak, had dropped 11 consecutive games against its AFC North rival and was a double-digit underdog entering the primetime affair.

Cincinnati overcame those odds, doing so with a third-string quarterback (Ryan Finley) and without their leading receiver, Tyler Boyd, who was knocked from the contest in the early stages after sustaining a concussion.

The Bengals appear undaunted by the chore of traveling to Houston during the holidays to square off with the Texans. Preparedness hasn’t been an issue.

“It hasn’t been a challenge to get these guys focused at all, to be quite honest, and I think that shows on how we played the other week,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “This week there’s a lot of things to manage. It’s a short week, we’re on the road, you’ve got Christmas. But again, I’ve got a lot of faith in our guys to handle it the right way and we’ve laid out our expectations for them. And we know that they’ll be pros about it.”

Playing out the string of a 16-game schedule is a task in itself. Doing so during a pandemic-altered season can sap enthusiasm. The Bengals might still be without Boyd and quarterback Brandon Allen (knee) against the Texans, but their effort Monday provided a bit of a boost, perhaps enough to carry Cincinnati through the final two games of the schedule.

“This was something that we all needed,” Bengals running back Giovani Bernard said of beating the Steelers. “It’s something that I’m sure everybody is proud of.”

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TENNESSEE vs HOUSTON
When: 1/3/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 4.5
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , TENNESSEE

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as 4.5 point favorites versus the TENNESSEE, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.4.

There were moments this season when Tennessee played with such force and vigor that a playoff berth seemed all but assured, something akin to a foregone conclusion given their offensive weapons.

But with five teams vying for four AFC playoff spots all sporting the same record, there are no guarantees for the Titans (10-5) on Sunday when they face the host Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.

“I think your approach is that you just have to do things that help you win,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of the pending sense of urgency. “You have to play complementary. You’ve got to take care of the football. You’ve got to try to get some turnovers, be sound in the kicking game. Not trying to do too much but go out and make plays and make plays to win the football game.”

The Titans rank third in the NFL in points (450) and fifth in yards (5,851) behind the imposing collective of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and receivers A.J. Brown and Corey Davis.

Tannehill ranks fourth in passer rating (106.7) and seventh in touchdowns (32) while Henry is threatening to claim a second consecutive triple crown for running backs by pacing the league in attempts (344) and yards (1,777) while sitting one touchdown shy of co-leaders Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara (with 16 apiece).

Brown and Davis both have 60 receptions for 900-plus yards while Davis is tied for sixth in the league with 10 receiving touchdowns.

Yet Tennessee has been undone by its defense, which ranks 29th in yards allowed, and is now in need of relying on past playoff experience to navigate the potential landmines in Houston. In theory, the run to the AFC Championship Game last season should serve the Titans well on Sunday, but in a season where guarantees have been few and far between, nothing is certain.

“I don’t know that,” Vrabel said. “We’ve got to focus on the Texans and the challenges that they present and our ability to prepare. I think you try to take from the games that you’ve played and past experiences and try not to think that it’s going to guarantee success because it doesn’t. Each week and each play doesn’t mean anything about the next one. It’s just about finding a way to get there.”

The Texans (4-11) are aiming to get Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson through the season finale. Watson has taken his lumps in recent weeks yet has remained a dynamic force. But the blow he took to his throwing arm in the fourth quarter last Sunday against the Bengals was worrisome enough to lead some to suggest that Watson should sit and call it a season Sunday.

Watson has made it clear, however, that if he is healthy he will play. And by all accounts, he will.

“As far as I know, he’s doing pretty good,” Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “I haven’t heard that he’s not doing well, and so since I feel like he’s doing good, I hope he does good on Sunday, too.”

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The Bengals (3-10-1) were 14-point underdogs and had lost five in a row before toppling playoff-bound Pittsburgh 27-17 in prime time to snap a streak of 11 straight losses to the Steelers.

Now they’ll try to keep that momentum going as they look for their first road win against the struggling Texans (4-10), losers of three straight.

“Monday night was just a huge moment for all of us and our spirits,” Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “It was what we needed, to say the least. To come away with a win against a division rival on prime time just shows the world and gives us the confidence that we can play anybody and do what we need to do to get wins.”

Monday was Cincinnati’s first win since quarterback Joe Burrow, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, sustained a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 22. They got it behind the solid play of third-string QB Ryan Finley with Brandon Allen out with a knee injury.

It’s unclear if Finley or Allen will start against Houston.

“We will continue to see where the health is at before making those decisions, but I thought Ryan played a really tough, tough, gutsy effort on Monday night,” coach Zac Taylor said. “He took some big hits and was able to make some plays for us that helped us win that game.”

Things are much different in Houston where the Texans are trying to regroup after a second heartbreaking loss to the Colts in three weeks. In the first game against the Colts on Dec. 6, Houston had a chance to take the lead with about 90 seconds left with the ball at the Colts 2. But Deshaun Watson fumbled a low snap from center Nick Martin and Anthony Walker pounced on it to secure Indy’s 26-20 victory.

Last week, the Texans had a chance to tie it with 19 seconds left when wide receiver Keke Coutee grabbed a pass from Watson, but Darius Leonard knocked the ball out before he could cross the goal line. And again, the Colts recovered the fumble and it sealed their 27-20 win.

Interim coach Romeo Crennel was asked if he thought the last-minute loss to the Colts could bleed into this week and impact the team’s performance against the Bengals.

“Only if we let the tough loss bring us down,” he said. “You can look at it two ways. We fought and we played hard and we came up short. What I tell them is you’ve got to keep fighting. If you keep fighting hard enough and long enough then you’ll be able to win some of those games that we’ve come up short in. That’s what we’re going to try to do for two weeks.”

While there’s uncertainty at quarterback for the Bengals, the position is the most solid area of the team for the Texans where Watson has been one of the few bright spots in Houston’s dismal season.

Watson, who was selected to his third straight Pro Bowl this week, ranks second in the NFL with 4,134 yards passing and has thrown a career-high 27 touchdown passes. He threw for a season-high 373 yards on Sunday for his eighth 300-yard game this season and has thrown for 300 yards or more 18 times in his career, which ranks second in franchise history.

NOT AGAIN

Taylor wasn’t excited about dealing with Houston defensive end J.J. Watt this week after facing his younger brother, Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt twice this season.

“Yeah, I’m tired of seeing that name on the back of the jersey every week we play,” Taylor said.

Taylor recalled his introduction to the elder Watt.

“The first time I faced him was my first game in the NFL coaching for the Dolphins,” Taylor said. “We opened at Houston and I think he deflected five passes, three of them got picked off. That was my first, `Welcome to the NFL’ coaching moment. He’s a tremendous player and you have to be aware of him at all times.”

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has defended seven passes, has five sacks, 12 tackles for losses, and returned an interception for a touchdown this season.

CLEMSON TIES

Bengals rookie receiver Tee Higgins is looking forward to catching up with Watson, a fellow former Clemson standout, after Sunday’s game. Higgins, who ranks third among rookies with 809 yards receiving, arrived at Clemson the year after Watson led the Tigers to a national title in the 2016 season.

Higgins got his own title at Clemson when he helped the Tigers to another championship in the 2018 season. He said he’s talked to Watson a couple of times but hopes to get a picture with the quarterback this weekend.

“He went to Clemson, won a national championship for the first time in a long time,” Higgins said. “He’s definitely at the top of the mountain out there in Clemson.”

PILING ‘EM UP

Houston inside linebacker Zach Cunningham ranks first in the NFL with 136 tackles and has three sacks this season. He and Tampa Bay’s Devin White are the only players in the NFL to have at least 130 tackles and three sacks this year.

Cunningham is the second player in franchise history to have at least 80 tackles in each of his first four seasons and the fourth player to have 100 tackles in three straight seasons. He has seven games with 10 or more tackles this season to give him 19 in his career, which is tied for second-most in team history.

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JACKSONVILLE vs HOUSTON
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Houston -9.5.
O/U: 43.5
PREDICTION: Texans 27, Jaguars 20

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -9.5 point favorites versus the JACKSONVILLE, while the game’s total is sitting at 43.5.

The line between moral victory and demoralizing loss can be fine in the NFL, but the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars firmly were on opposite sides of it in Week 1. The AFC South rivals aim to rebound from season-opening losses when they square off Sunday in Houston.

The Texans squandered a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback on Monday as they lost 30-28 at New Orleans on a last-second field goal. Will Lutz’s 58-yard kick came after Houston had gone 75 yards on two plays to take the lead with 37 seconds left. The Jaguars, on the other hand, were encouraged by their second-half surge in a 40-26 loss to Kansas City, especially considering rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew replaced injured starter Nick Foles and impressed in his NFL debut. “He’s one of the few guys I’ve been around who can go from the classroom and really take it right onto the field,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone told reporters. “The other day was an unbelievable indication of that. I don’t know how many people – especially rookies – can go out not having done anything during the week and play like that.”

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (0-1): Foles is out until at least Week 11 with a broken collarbone, but Jacksonville has confidence in Minshew, who completed his first 13 passes and finished 22-of-25 for 275 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his debut. Minshew benefits from a workhorse back in Leonard Fournette and a receiving corps that showed off its newfound depth against the Chiefs. Jacksonville’s defense was humbled by Kansas City’s high-powered attack, allowing 491 total yards, and will have to do a better job of pressuring the quarterback against another high-powered offense.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (0-1): Houston has a dynamic duo in the passing game with quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but the newly constructed backfield tandem also got the job done last week. Carlos Hyde rushed for 83 yards just nine days after being acquired from Kansas City and Duke Johnson recorded 90 yards from scrimmage in his debut for the Texans. The defense surrendered 510 total yards to the Saints and had a hard time getting pressure in the backfield, recording just one sack and no tackles for loss.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Hopkins has made seven or more catches in four straight home games against the Jaguars, including 12 grabs for 147 yards in the most recent meeting.

2. Jacksonville DE Calais Campbell has registered 7.5 sacks in his last four games against Houston.

3. Texans DE J.J. Watt has notched 16 sacks versus the Jaguars, his second-highest total against any opponent.

PREDICTION: Texans 27, Jaguars 20

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HOUSTON vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 7:10 PM ET, Monday, September 9, 2019
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

TV: 7:10 PM
LINE: -7
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as -7 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 53.

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HOUSTON TEXANS vs NY JETS
When: 4:30 PM ET, Saturday, December 15, 2018
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

TV: 4:30 PM
LINE: 6
PREDICTION: NY JETS , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the NY JETS listed as 6 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 41.5.

A pair of lengthy losing streaks came to an end last week for both the Houston Texans and New York Jets, who have decidedly different goals heading into the final three games of the season. New York is trying to finish on a strong note after ending a six-game slide while Houston hopes to inch closer to a division title entering Saturday’s matchup at the Jets.

The Texans are sitting atop the AFC South and are in the running for the No. 2 overall seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs despite having a nine-game winning streak halted by visiting Indianapolis last week. Houston follows up Saturday’s matchup with a game at Philadelphia next weekend so its bracing to play in adverse conditions by practicing outdoors. “Our weather right now is not like it is in New York or Philly, but it’s not great here right now,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “So, I think that’s good. Then we’ll just do things during practice to kind of help show him what the elements might be like to the best of our ability.” Rookie Sam Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, returned from a three-game absence to rally New York to a 27-23 victory at Buffalo last week.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: Texans -6. O/U: 41.5

ABOUT THE TEXANS (9-4): Houston’s defense was burned for 399 yards by Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck but it ranks fifth in scoring (19.9 points) and should have an easier time containing New York’s pedestrian passing attack. The Texans also are fifth against the run (88.2 yards) and likely will try to apply pressure on Darnold with edge pass rushers J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, who have combined for 19.5 sacks. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has been part of a ground game that averaged 146.1 yards during the winning streak, but running backs Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue were limited to 54 yards last week. Wideout DeAndre Hopkins had a season-low 36 yards last week but has 1,151 yards and nine TDs on the season.

ABOUT THE JETS (4-9): Darnold did not put up eye-popping numbers against the Bills, completing 16 of 24 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but he directed a winning scoring drive after Buffalo went ahead with 2 1/2 minutes to play. “As a kid, you dream of converting two-minute drives and going down there and scoring,” said Darnold, who was intercepted seven times in his previous three games before he was hurt. With Isaiah Crowell ailing and sitting out practice Thursday, Elijah McGuire is expected to get the start after rushing for 60 yards and the game-winning TD on Sunday. New York’s defense has struggled against the run, allowing an average of 132.0 yards rushing.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Watson has a 112.9 passer rating in his last seven games, throwing for 13 TDs against two interceptions.

2. McGuire had a season-high 83 yards from scrimmage last week.

3. Hopkins has a touchdown reception in his last five road games.

PREDICTION: Texans 23, Jets 20

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS vs HOUSTON TEXANS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 9, 2018
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , INDIANAPOLIS

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -5 point favorites versus the INDIANAPOLIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.5.

The Houston Texans can take another big step toward clinching the AFC South when they host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. A 10th straight win for the Texans would eliminate the Colts from contention in the division and leave only the Tennessee Titans, who won Thursday against Jacksonville to get within 2 1/2 games, as a contender for the top spot.

Despite its dominant winning streak, which includes last Sunday’s 29-13 win over the Cleveland Browns, Houston is not punching any postseason tickets just yet. “I just wanna win on Sunday,” defensive end J.J. Watt told reporters. “It’s the one-day-at-a-time mentality. I think when you start to look ahead, or you start to get overly excited about accomplishments … you take things one day at a time.” The Colts averaged 34.6 points during a five-game winning streak before being blanked 6-0 at Jacksonville last Sunday. Houston used a field goal with no time on the clock in overtime to top Indianapolis 34-31 earlier in the year.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Texans -4.5. O/U: 50

ABOUT THE COLTS (6-6): Andrew Luck threw for at least three touchdowns in eight straight games before the shutout loss to the Jaguars, despite 52 pass attempts. “I didn’t feel very sharp,” Luck told reporters. “I didn’t feel like I was putting the ball in the places to really give guys a chance to catch them.” That effort could be even more difficult this Sunday if T.Y. Hilton (shoulder) and tight end Eric Ebron (back) — the team’s top two receiving threats — are unable to go.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (9-3): Houston was 0-3 before its visit to Indianapolis and turned around its season with the see-saw victory that week, with Deshaun Watson accounting for 375 passing yards, 41 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. “That was one game where we went through all types of phases and situations that kind of put us through this nine-game win-streak,” Watson told the media. “Yeah, it was the start of everything.” Opponents are averaging 15.9 points over the past eight games, with Watt recording 6.5 sacks in that span.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins had 10 catches for 169 yards and a TD in the first meeting.

2. Luck has eight of his 12 interceptions on the road.

3. Indianapolis has won four of the last five meetings in Houston.

PREDICTION: Texans 30, Colts 23

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TENNESSEE TITANS vs HOUSTON TEXANS
When: 8:15 PM ET, Monday, November 26, 2018
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: 8:15 PM
LINE: -4
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , TENNESSEE

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -4 point favorites versus the TENNESSEE, while the game’s total is sitting at 42.5.

Their ugly start to the season now a distant memory, the Houston Texans can set a franchise record when they host the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. The Texans own a two-game lead atop the AFC South and will go for their eighth consecutive victory after opening the campaign with three straight losses, including a 20-17 setback at Tennessee in Week 2.

Surging Houston is coming off consecutive two-point triumphs at Washington and Denver, giving the team four victories by three points or fewer during its winning streak. “We just try to keep on stacking wins and put us in position for later on down the season,” Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson told reporters. “It’s a very important game. It’s a home game. We want to win those. It’s a division game. We have to make sure we prepare well and get ready for it.” The Titans squandered a chance to make Monday’s matchup a showdown for division supremacy, following a pair of decisive wins over Dallas and New England with a 38-10 loss to Indianapolis last week. Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota was knocked out of that game with a stinger, but he practiced fully on Friday and Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur pronounced him “ready to roll.”

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Texans -6. O/U: 41.5

ABOUT THE TITANS (5-5): Mariota had his two best games in the wins over the Cowboys and Patriots, and it was feared that last week’s injury was related to the elbow issues that have plagued him for most of the season and forced him to miss the Week 2 matchup versus Houston. Running back Derrick Henry, who was used out of the wildcat in the first meeting, could be in line for a heavier workload as part of a backfield tandem with Dion Lewis, LaFleur said after Friday’s practice. Corey Davis is Mariota’s top target with 45 receptions, but it’s unclear if fellow wideout Taywan Taylor will return after a two-game absence. Tennessee had the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense until it was shredded by the Colts.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (7-3): Watson had his NFL coming-out party against Tennessee last season in his third career start, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another as Houston set a franchise record for points in a 57-14 rout. He has not thrown for more than 239 yards in his last five starts and the Texans have scored more than 23 points just twice, but wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has at least one TD catch in five straight games and eight overall after posting an NFL-high 13 receiving scores last season. Running back Lamar Miller is providing balance to the offense with at least 18 carries and 86 yards rushing in three of the last four games. The Texans are fifth in scoring defense (20.5 points).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Hopkins has at least 100 yards in three of his last four versus Tennessee, including 110 and a TD in Week 2.

2. Mariota had a passing and rushing touchdown in his last matchup against Houston.

3. Texans DE J.J. Watt has registered 10 sacks on the season, including one in each of his last three games.

PREDICTION: Texans 23, Titans 20

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CLEVELAND BROWNS vs HOUSTON TEXANS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , CLEVELAND

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -5 point favorites versus the CLEVELAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.5.

The Houston Texans are enjoying the longest winning streak in the AFC at eight consecutive games and are trying to position themselves for an AFC South title and a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Cleveland Browns, who visit the Texans on Sunday, are on the upswing as well and are winners of two straight behind rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Houston is two games clear of the Indianapolis Colts (6-5) in the AFC South and only has one game remaining against an opponent with a winning record – at home against the Colts in Week 14 – as it sits tied with New England for the No. 2 spot in the AFC, though the Patriots own the head-to-head tiebreaker. “We just kind of started slow early on in the season,” Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson told reporters. “We were just a couple of plays from being 3-0. It didn’t fall our way, but we corrected those mistakes and made sure that we stayed on top of our game and kept grinding. And now we’re sitting here at 8-3 and have an opportunity to do something special. … And if we can do that, sky’s the limit for us.” Cleveland already matched the franchise’s total of wins from the previous three seasons and continues to improve under interim coach Gregg Williams. “Our guys have done a very good job of realizing and capturing the moment, capturing the meeting and changing from walkthrough attitude to practice attitude and then from practice attitude to game attitude,” Williams told reporters. “Then the execution, each and every space has to be faster and better. I have been pleased with them.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Texans -6. O/U: 47

ABOUT THE BROWNS (4-6-1): Mayfield was on fire in wins each of the last two weeks, combining to complete 36-of-46 passes for 474 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. “As the experience continues, the comfortability grows,” Mayfield told reporters. “Really nothing else to that. As I see more looks and more things, I’m going to be more comfortable. I just got to go out there and do my job.” Mayfield benefits from an offensive line that did not allow a sack in either of the last two contests and a running game that features rookie Nick Chubb, who totaled 337 yards from scrimmage and four TDs in the last two games.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (8-3): Houston set a franchise record with 281 rushing yards in Monday’s 34-17 drubbing of the Tennessee Titans, led by Lamar Miller’s 162 yards on 12 carries. “(The running game) just opened up the whole offense,” Watson told reporters. “The safeties get aggressive. The defense has to show what their hand is. That was the challenge tonight for our offensive line and the running backs to kind of set the run game and open up the pass game. That’s what we did, and if the run game is clicking, we’re going to make sure we’re going to stay rolling with that momentum.” Watson added 70 yards and a score on the ground to go with a pair of passing TDs and did not turn the ball over after tossing a pair of interceptions in the previous game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Texans activated LB Dylan Cole (wrist) off IR and waived LB Josh Keyes.

2. Cleveland DE Myles Garrett recorded at least one sack in four of the last five games.

3. Houston took the last four in the series, including a 33-17 home win last season.

PREDICTION: Texans 28, Browns 24

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HOUSTON TEXANS vs DENVER BRONCOS
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

TV: 4:05 PM
LINE: -1
PREDICTION: DENVER , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as -1 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.

The Houston Texans knew they were a better team than they showed in the early part of the season and have proven themselves right, turning things around and soared to the top of the AFC South. Houston will have a new weapon in its arsenal on Sunday as it seeks a sixth consecutive victory when it visits the Denver Broncos.

The Texans began the campaign with three tough losses – all by seven points or fewer – but have reeled off five straight wins, including a 42-23 rout of Miami on Oct. 25. Houston has had more than a week to prepare for Denver and will have someone very familiar with its opponent at its disposal in wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who was acquired from the Broncos on Tuesday. Denver’s season has been almost completely opposite of Houston’s, as the club won its first two games before losing four in a row and five of six after falling 30-23 at Kansas City in Week 8. Rookie Phillip Lindsay was a bright spot in the setback as he recorded a career-high 112 yards from scrimmage (95 rushing) while running for a touchdown for a second straight week.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Broncos -1. O/U: 46

ABOUT THE TEXANS (5-3): Deshaun Watson had a field day against the Dolphins last week, completing 16-of-20 attempts for 239 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. The 23-year-old has thrown 34 scoring passes in 15 career games and needs one to join Kurt Warner (39) and Dan Marino (35) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 35 in their first 16 contests. Thomas, a five-time Pro-Bowler, is Denver’s all-time leader in 100-yard receiving games (33) and ranks second in both receiving yards (9,055) and TDs (60), and made 36 catches for 402 yards and three scores this season.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (3-5): Denver has another impressive rookie on the other side of the ball in linebacker Bradley Chubb, who was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October after recording 5.5 sacks, 14 tackles and five tackles for loss. The 22-year-old is the first Broncos rookie to register multiple sacks in consecutive games since Elvis Dumervil in 2009 and first NFL rookie since Aldon Smith of San Francisco in 2011 to collect at least 5.5 sacks in a three-game span. Case Keenum, who appeared in 10 games for Houston from 2012-14, has thrown for 1,118 yards and five touchdowns in four starts at home this year.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Thomas was acquired by the Texans to replace WR Will Fuller V, who was placed on injured reserve and will undergo knee surgery that will sideline him for 6-9 months.

2. Denver LB Von Miller is tied for second in the league with eight sacks while Chubb has registered a rookie-high seven.

3. With a victory on Sunday, Houston will join the 1970 New York Giants as the only teams since that year to win six straight contests after losing their first three.

PREDICTION: Texans 31, Broncos 27

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