Houston Texans vs New England Patriots
When: 8:15 PM ET, Saturday, January 14, 2017
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Patriots -15.5.
O/U: 44.5
PREDICTION: Patriots 30, Texans 13

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ENGLAND listed as -15 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bill O’Brien knows all about how tough the New England Patriots are at this, or any time, of year.

That’s why the former New England offensive coordinator and current Houston Texans coach knows what his team is up against when it visits for Saturday’s night’s AFC divisional playoff game.

“It’s a big challenge. It’s a team that has done it year in and year out,” O’Brien said earlier this week. “Last week was only this organization’s third playoff win. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.

“We’ve got a bunch of good guys in our locker room that are looking forward to the challenge. We know that the Patriots are a great football team. We feel like if we go up there and we practice well – we have a good week of practice – we go up there and show up and play hard for 60 minutes, you know, we’ll see what happens.”

History, and the oddsmakers, are both against the Texans, a 9-7 division champion that disposed of the Oakland Raiders in last weekend’s wild card game. Houston has never won at Foxborough, has beaten the Patriots just once, lost 27-0 in New England – with Tom Brady out, no less – in September and has lost the last two games to the Patriots by a combined score of 54-6.

The Texans come into this one as a 15 1/2-point underdog.

They’re also a warm weather team playing in the cold night air.

The Texans do bring the league’s No. 1 defense into this game, while the Patriots have allowed the fewest points.

Back in Week 3, Jacoby Brissett was the New England quarterback and J.J. Watt played his final game of the season before undergoing back surgery. The Texans fumbled away two kickoffs and saw Brissett run for a 27-yard touchdown.

Now, Brady will run the potent Patriots’ offense, which should be bolstered by the return of wideout Danny Amendola, who missed four games with a sprain ankle. He was back at full participation on Wednesday’s practice report, while Malcolm Mitchell, out last week with a knee injury, was limited.

LeGarrette Blount, who has had a strong year running the ball, missed Wednesday’s practice due to illness.

The Patriots come in 14-2 with seven straight wins and have gone 11-1 since Brady returned from his Deflategate suspension. They have spent the week doing what they always do – not saying anything even close to bad about the opposition.

“I think that they’re playing really well in all three phases,” New England’s Rob Ninkovich said. “I think that their running game is very strong, so we have a challenge. It starts today preparing for that challenge.”

Added Malcolm Butler: “Of course we won the (first) game, but teams are not peaking early in the season, so you most definitely say they got better, we got better, so time will tell.”

The Texans had eight players listed with limited participation Wednesday, six of them of defense – including Quintin Demps (hamstring, game-time decision), Jadeveon Clowney (elbow, wrist) and Brian Cushing (ankle).

Brady finished the regular season with 28 touchdown passes and just two interceptions as the Patriots set the record for fewest picks thrown (two) in a season.

The New England defense, suspect when it blanked the Texans in Week 3, has gotten better and better and even traded away Jamie Collins, who had a big game against Houston.

“It’s tough,” O’Brien said. “They’re obviously a team that lines up in different fronts. They challenge you with – not only their players, which their players are very, very good. You got (Alan) Branch and (Dont’a) Hightower and (Rob) Ninkovich and (Jabaal) Sheard and Malcolm Brown. You have a bunch of really tough, hard-nosed players that are very, very well-coached so their scheme presents a problem too.

“We’re going to have to have a great week of practice. We’re going to have to be very focused on every single play, limit mistakes, really communicate really well because they’re a tough team, run or pass, to go against.”

The Patriots have outscored their last three opponents, 92-20, over the last three games, with Brady and Co. always in high gear.

“I think it’s more about execution,” O’Brien said of the task at hand. “We’re not going to show him anything that he hasn’t already seen. He’s been doing it for years, 17 years or whatever it is.

“I mean, that’s part of what makes him who he is. He’s seen it all. He’s very well-prepared. He’s played against a lot of these players. He’s played against this scheme. We just need to kind of do what we do and execute and play every play. Be very focused on every single play, I think that’s big for us.”

The post Houston vs. New England Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Oddsmakers don’t think Brock Osweiler should guarantee the 16-point underdog Houston Texans can beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in New England. In fact, even if Brady were not playing, the Patriots would be favored by nearly two touchdowns.

”Normally, he is worth six to seven points to the spread, depending on the opponent,” said Scott Cooley, spokesman for BookMaker, an offshore book and casino. ”But in this situation it changes a bit because the Patriots have a very capable backup in Jimmy Garappolo, who we’ve seen perform well in meaningful games. If Brady wasn’t playing this weekend, we would make the Patriots 12- to 13-point favorites.”

The Patriots (14-2) beat the Texans 27-0 in Week 3 with third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett leading the way.

Brady, of course, will be under center against the Texans and he’s playing some of his best football. He’s taking nothing for granted because coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t have it another way.

”There is nothing easy about this game for our offense,” Brady said on WEEI radio in Boston.

Osweiler is 1-0 against Brady. Peyton Manning’s former backup rallied Denver from a 21-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Patriots 30-24 in overtime last season.

But this isn’t the same Osweiler – he was benched last month – and the Texans (10-7) are not last year’s Super Bowl champion Broncos.

The Patriots are used to double-digit point spreads in the playoffs. They’ve been involved in the five largest spreads since 2000, according to Pro Football Reference. They’re only 1-3 covering the spread as favorites, but 3-1 in the won/loss column.

New England was a 14-point underdog when it upset the Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl. After going 16-0 in 2007, the Patriots failed to cover three times as favorites of 12 1/2 or more in the playoffs. They defeated the Jaguars and Chargers before losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

In 2012, they whipped Tim Tebow and the Broncos 45-10 in the divisional round to cover a 13 1/2-point spread.

Pro Football Reference lists 59 double-digit favorites in playoff games since the Super Bowl began in January 1967. The favorites are 33-25-1 against the spread and 47-12 straight up.

The five biggest point spreads in the playoffs since 1966:

19 points: 49ers vs. Chargers in 1995 Super Bowl. Steve Young threw six touchdown passes, including three to Jerry Rice, to lead San Francisco to a 49-26 victory and its fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

18 points: Colts vs. Jets in 1969 Super Bowl. Namath guaranteed a win for the underdog Jets and delivered. Broadway Joe threw for 206 yards, Matt Snell had 121 yards rushing and a TD and Jim Turner kicked three field goals in New York’s 16-7 victory over Baltimore.

16 + points: Vikings vs. Cardinals in 1999 NFC divisional round. Randall Cunningham tossed three TD passes, including one to rookie Randy Moss, to lead the Vikings to a 41-21 win.

15 + points: 49ers vs. Bears in 1995 NFC divisional round. William Floyd ran for three TDs and San Francisco routed Chicago 44-15.

15 points: Cowboys vs. Falcons in 1978 NFC divisional round. Danny White replaced Roger Staubach after he sustained a concussion and led the Cowboys to a 27-20 win, but not a cover.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi

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Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2016
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Texans -6.
O/U: 39.5.
PREDICTION: Texans 21, Jaguars 17

Oddsmakers currently have the Texans listed as 6-point favorites versus the Jaguars, while the game’s total is sitting at 39½.

HOUSTON — Despite notching a win that to an extent salvaged their postseason hopes, the Texans haven’t yet found themselves in position to rest on their laurels.

Should the Texans (7-6) defeat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11) on Sunday at NRG Stadium, they’ll inch one step closer to clinching the AFC South title. Houston would improve to 5-0 in the division with games against the Bengals and Titans remaining, with that finale in Tennessee and the division title likely up for grabs.

By beating the Colts in Indianapolis for only the second time in franchise history, the Texans remained in a first-place tie with Tennessee. And while Jacksonville doesn’t present a serious threat to disrupting their momentum, the Texans will enter the matchup hamstrung in the passing game, already an offensive weakness.

With receivers Jaelen Strong and Braxton Miller on injured reserve, the Texans also have tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz in concussion protocol. Fiedorowicz is second on the team in receptions (48) and receiving touchdowns (two), and third in receiving yards (505). He is a huge loss for a passing attack ranked 30th in the NFL.

“C.J. is a big part of what we’ve been doing, obviously,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “He’s had a good year. He’s a guy that does both things well. He blocks well and obviously he’s had a good year in the passing game. I’d put him in the day-to-day category. He’s played a lot snaps for us this year. He’s pretty banged up but I know he’s going to do everything he can to try to play on Sunday. I know that.

“As far as the passing game goes, I think it’s a unit that steps up week in and week out. I know it hasn’t been the numbers that maybe everybody looks at but I think there’s been some consistency in some of the certain routes that we run and things like that. I think our guys understand the game plan. They understand how we want to attack Jacksonville.”

Given their roster attrition, the Texans must lean on their prior postseason experience to navigate the final three weeks of the season. There are veterans sprinkled throughout the roster, even some who aided playoff runs elsewhere.

The Texans have pointed to marginally improved play from quarterback Brock Osweiler, who in turn believes his experience in Denver last season is beneficial.

“I was very fortunate in my time in Denver to be a part of playoff teams, be a part of teams that were fighting for playoff positions in the month of December,” Osweiler said. “Then, obviously, last year I was fortunate to be able to contribute actually on the field. Just like I always talk about in here, there’s nothing that replaces game reps.

“Well, there’s nothing that replaces experience of being able to experience the playoffs. So, just being around that team, I think it helps me out big-picture-wise of what to expect this month, how to prepare and how to go about things.”

The Jaguars have no such expectations. After following a pair of one-possession losses in September with back-to-back victories over the Colts and Bears in October, Jacksonville has dropped eight consecutive games. Four of those losses have come by one score, underscoring how frustrating this season has been for the Jaguars.

“I think it definitely took us by shock,” Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson said of the skid. “I think offensively it’s not something that we thought at all. Unfortunately, it is the position that we are in, but at the end of the day, we are still trying to build some light up and trying to get some momentum heading into next season.”

That resolution leaves the Jaguars playing the role of spoiler yet again, especially given their closing schedule. After visiting the Texans this weekend, the Jaguars will host the Titans before closing on the road in Indianapolis. With the Colts just one game behind Houston and Tennessee, the Jaguars will have a say in the AFC South.

“Well, anytime it’s an AFC South opponent, I think every team in our division is looking at that saying, ‘We all want to own the AFC South,'” Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. “When you have three opponents like we do the next three games, it’s a great opportunity.”

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Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Colts -6. O/U: 46.5
PREDICTION: Colts 24, Texans 17

Oddsmakers currently have the Colts listed as 6-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.5.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (6-6): Osweiler is 31st in the NFL among 32 qualified quarterbacks with a 74.2 rating and is last in yards per attempt at 5.77, but coach Bill O’Brien put the team’s struggles on himself after a 21-13 loss at Green Bay last week. “It comes down to eight to 10 plays a game, and a lot of that has to do with coaching,” O’Brien told reporters. “We have to do a better job coaching and players have to do a better job executing, but we’re all in it together and we all have to do a better job.” Houston’s defense has carried the team most of the season but is starting to spring leaks with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (wrist/elbow) and cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ribs) sitting out practice this week.

Houston Stats:
Team record: 6-6 SU,5-6-1 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Houston is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 games

ABOUT THE COLTS (6-6): Luck and the offense could be asked to do even more down the stretch with the defense losing middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson to a four-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Jackson, who is the signal-caller on defense and has recorded 78 tackles and a sack this season, is not eligible to return to the team until the day after the end of the regular season. “We’re all disappointed,” coach Chuck Pagano told reporters. “It is what it is. Moving forward, if we’re fortunate enough to play good enough and win enough games, we’ll get him back for the playoffs.”

Last time out for Indianapolis, they were a 41-10 winner as they battled the Jets on the road. The Colts covered in the match as a +1.5-point underdog, while 51 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Indianapolis Stats:
Team record: 6-6 SU,6-5-1 ATS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indianapolis’s last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indianapolis’s last 5 games at home
Indianapolis is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Houston

EXTRA POINTS
1. Colts rookie LB Antonio Morrison is expected to start in place of Jackson.
2. Houston WR Braxton Miller (shoulder) sat out practice on Wednesday and is questionable.
3. Osweiler threw for 269 yards and two TDs in a 26-23 overtime home win over Indianapolis in Week 6.

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San Diego Chargers vs. Houston Texans
When: 11/27/2016 1:00 PM
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Chargers -1.5. O/U: 46.5
PREDICTION: Texans 23, Chargers 21

Oddsmakers currently have the Chargers listed as 3-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 46½.

HOUSTON — What the Houston Texans have dealt with since Monday night has been a lingering feeling throughout this disappointing season for the San Diego Chargers.

On the cusp of a surprising victory over the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders, the Texans (6-4) coughed up a seven-point lead with a fourth-quarter collapse and fell 27-20 in Mexico City. Instead of establishing a two-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South with a head-to-head victory in hand, the Texans dropped to 4-3 in the AFC and set the stage for a dogfight for the division title down the stretch.

“It’s a must that we focus strictly on San Diego,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “If you start looking ahead to whatever is the next game or the game after that, you know, they’re all important. When you only have, whatever it is, six games, five games left, every single one is important.

“The division obviously is very, very important, but AFC games are important. Any game is important. I think these guys came into the building today with great focus, energy and they’re very focused on the Chargers.”

Defensively, the Texans remain an upper echelon team, ranking 12th in scoring defense and fifth in total defense. But the manner in which they surrendered the lead to Oakland continued a recent trend that warrants attention and a reversal.

After matching a Texans field goal with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Jamize Olawale, the Raiders covered 85 yards in five plays in posting the winning score, a Carr to Amari Cooper 35-yard pass. That touchdown followed a fourth-down stand by the Raiders’ defense. When the Texans failed to match, it marked their fourth consecutive game without a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Since their spirited fourth-quarter rally to beat the Colts on Oct. 16, the Texans have been outscored 41-9 in the foruth quarter of their last four games. Given the ongoing struggles of the offense, it’s unjust to saddle the Texans’ defense with the blame for their late-game struggles, but what is true is that Houston has wavered when those tense moments arrive and a tenuous lead in on the line.

Houston Stats:
Team record: 6-4 SU,5-4-1 ATS
Houston is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston’s last 7 games
Houston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

“We got beat. That’s all I can say,” Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said. “You saw the game. They made plays. We didn’t make the plays, so we lost the game. The only thing that we can do now is we cannot cry over spilled milk. What we have to do is we have to move forward and try to play a better game versus the Chargers.”

The Chargers (4-6) have managed the frustration of having a losing record despite a positive point differential. All six of their losses have come by one score, with a spate of injuries and their own issues protecting leads undermining success.

Three games behind the Broncos and Chiefs in the AFC West, the Chargers aren’t in a position to dwell too long on what ails Houston. Injuries have undercut the Texans, too, but they’ve held the line defensively in spite of the losses.

San Diego Stats:
Team record: 4-6 SU,6-4 ATS
San Diego is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
San Diego is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego’s last 7 games

“I think that’s what the good coaches do in this business,” Chargers coach Mike McCoy said of Houston surviving the loss of All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt. “You take advantage of your personnel. There’s little adjustments you make from week to week. The foundation has been laid a long time ago in his system and then you go into the game planning process of doing certain things. You educate your players and players go out and play. It’s not shocking at all the way they are playing without those players either.”

That Houston has established quality depth in its secondary has helped offset the injuries up front. Watt is irreplaceable, but the Texans have rotated capable defensive backs liberally and to success, doing so with veteran cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson serving as anchors in the secondary.

“Yeah, it’s a good group,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. “Obviously, those two corners are veteran corners that have been together for a long time now, and really just a solid secondary all the way around.

“There’s a lot of guys in the game, a lot of DBs play, especially third-down situations, there’s a lot of DBs on the field and they make it tough on you. There’s not a lot of easy completions out there.”

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Houston Texans vs. Denver Broncos
When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, October 24, 2016
Where: Sports Authority Field, Denver, Colorado
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE: Broncos -9. O/U: 40.5
PREDICTION: Broncos 26, Texans 16

Oddsmakers currently have the Broncos listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 41½.

Defense carried Denver to the Super Bowl title last season and it ranks No. 1 in yards against the pass (182.3) and in sacks (21), but the running game is struggling to get untracked. Lead back C.J. Anderson has failed to rush for 50 yards in four consecutive games and is starting to lose touches to rookie Devontae Booker. Siemian, who suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4 that caused him to miss one game, has not been picked off since Week 2 and has a pair of top wideouts in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, who have combined for 67 receptions and six touchdowns. The Broncos were a 21-13 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Chargers. They failed to cover the -3-point spread as favorites, while the total score (34) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 4-2 SU,4-2 ATS
Denver is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Denver is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver’s last 9 games

Osweiler’s numbers were nondescript at best through much of the first six games, but he tossed a pair of touchdowns in the final 2:37 of regulation to spark a comeback in Houston’s 26-23 overtime win over Indianapolis last weekend. Running back Lamar Miller, also a marquee free-agent signing in the offseason, is coming off his best game by rushing for 149 yards and scoring his first two touchdowns — one on the ground and one receiving. Star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had a season-high nine receptions against the Colts, but his longest catch went for only 12 yards. Houston won its last outing, a 26-23 result against the Colts on October 16. The Texans earned a push in that game as a -3-point favorite, while the 49 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 4-2 SU,3-2-1 ATS
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Houston is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston’s last 9 games on the road

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Indianapolis at Houston
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, October 8, 2015
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network. LINE: 1.5. O/U: 45
PREDICTION: Colts 23, Texans 20
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Oddsmakers currently have the Colts listed as 1½-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.

Mallett was benched in favor of Hoyer during last week’s 48-21 loss at Atlanta after completing 12-of-27 passes for a season-low 150 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. O’Brien also is sticking with Mallett despite the fact that he owns a completion percentage of 51.8 percent. Arian Foster made his season debut after returning from groin surgery, but failed to provide a lift to the ground game with only 10 yards rushing on eight carries. Third-year wideout DeAndre Hopkins has 31 catches and is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games.

Houston lost its last outing, a 48-21 result against the Falcons on October 04. The Texans failed to cover in that game as a +4-point underdog, while the 69 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 1-3 SU,1-3 ATS
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games at home
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

Wide receiver Andre Johnson was a dominant force during a 12-year tenure with the Texans, racking up 1,012 career receptions, but he has labored in his first season with Indianapolis and does not have a catch in either of his past two games. Running back Frank Gore is also off to a slow start with the Colts, who survived three missed field goals by the Jaguars before prevailing last week behind 40-year-old quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Indianapolis’ defense has been vulnerable through the air, allowing 268 yards passing per game while registering only five sacks.

Last time out for Indianapolis, they were a 16-13 winner as they battled the Jaguars at home. The Colts failed to cover in the match as a -4-point favorite, while 29 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 2-2 SU,0-4 ATS
Indianapolis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Indianapolis is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indianapolis’s last 11 games

The post Indianapolis vs. Houston Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

Baltimore at Houston
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 21, 2014
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Ravens -5.5. O/U: 41.5
PREDICTION: Ravens 25, Texans 13
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Oddsmakers currently have the Ravens listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 42.

The likely successor to Mallett and Fitzpatrick, rookie Tom Savage, has already been ruled out with a knee injury. O’Brien is letting a battle play out in practice this week between Thad Lewis, who was signed on Nov. 26, and Case Keenum, who was with the team in training camp before being cut and was re-signed off the St. Louis practice squad on Monday. “I’m going to keep that one close to the vest,” O’Brien told reporters of the decision. “Both these guys, Case and Thad, are out there working hard. Right up until game time, that’s going to be the way it is.”

Last time out for Houston, they were a 17-10 loser as they battled the Colts on the road. The Texans earned a push in the match as a +7-point underdog, while 27 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 7-7 SU,8-5-1 ATS
Houston is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games
Houston is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games at home
Houston is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games at home

Baltimore sits in third place in the tightly-packed AFC North, a half-game behind Cincinnati and even with Pittsburgh, which owns the tiebreaker based on a better record within the division. The Ravens only have one more chance to make up a game in the division – Week 17 against Cleveland – and need some help from opponents of both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. “I’m excited about our team,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh told reporters. “I like where we’re at. We’re getting better and stronger, and I also think there’s room for improvement, which gives me a lot of encouragement and excitement, because we’ve yet to play our best game, by far.”

Baltimore won its last outing, a 20-12 result against the Jaguars on December 14. The Ravens failed to cover in that game as a -14-point favorite, while the 32 combined points took the game UNDER the total.

Team record: 9-5 SU,8-6 ATS
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore’s last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Baltimore is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Houston

The post Baltimore vs. Houston Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 2, 2014
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Eagles -2. O/U: 49
PREDICTION: Texans 31, Eagles 23
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Oddsmakers currently have the Eagles listed as 2½-point favorites versus the Texans, while the game’s total is sitting at 48½.

Arian Foster has run for 100-plus yards in four straight games for the first time in his career and has scored multiple TDs in three of those contests. DeAndre Hopkins has 11 catches for 203 yards over the last two games while Andre Johnson tied his season high with seven catches last week but still has not caught a ball for more than 26 yards all season. Ryan Fitzpatrick has not thrown for more than 289 yards in any game this year, but he could be due for a breakout performance against a Philadelphia defense that has only three interceptions – the second-lowest total in the NFL.

Houston was a 30-16 winner in its last match on the road against the Titans. They covered the -3.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 46 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 4-4 SU,5-3 ATS
Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Houston is 4-18 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston’s last 7 games
Houston is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home

While Philadelphia’s issues on the offensive line are a built-in excuse, the fact of the matter is that Nick Foles, who ranks third in the NFL with nine interceptions, has to play better. Then there is the matter of LeSean McCoy, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2013 but has rushed for more than four yards per carry in only one game this season. One player who has certainly stepped up for Philadelphia is Jeremy Maclin, who caught 12 balls for a career-high 187 yards and two TDs against the Cardinals and has half of the team’s 12 receiving scores this season.

In their last action, Philadelphia was a 24-20 loser on the road against the Cardinals. They failed to cover the +1-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (44) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Team record: 5-2 SU,5-2 ATS
Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Philadelphia is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road

The post Eagles vs. Texans Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Bush’s contract is reportedly worth $16 million.

The Lions also agreed to deals with former Houston Texans safety Glover Quin, cornerback Chris Houston and former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Jason Jones on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Bush proved that he can be an every-down tailback in Miami, rushing for 2,072 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons with the Dolphins.

He called the Lions’ offense “a running back’s dream.”

“The first thing we talked about, we’re watching film, seeing those safeties deep … it’s a running back’s dream. We have to be able to run the ball in that situation. That’s part of the reason I wanted to come here and be part of a balanced attack and take the pressure off Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford.”

Lions great Barry Sanders welcomed him to the Lions on Wednesday afternoon, in a tweet.

“Proud to be a @DetroitLionsNFL and excited to welcome @ReggieBush to the family,” he wrote.

In 2012, Bush played in every game for the first time since 2006 and fell just shy of his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, finishing with 986.

In 91 career games, Bush has 4,162 yards rushing, 2,730 receiving and 48 touchdowns (29 rushing, 15 receiving, four return).

Quin led the Texans with 84 tackles last season, along with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack.

Quin moved from cornerback to safety when Wade Phillips took over the Texans defense in 2011. The 27-year-old defensive back has 314 tackles and five sacks in 63 career games.

Houston agreed to a five-year deal to return to the Lions. The terms of Jones’ agreement weren’t immediately known.

“I’m excited that it’s all over,” Houston told the Detroit Free-Press. “I’ve been through free agency before, and it was crazy that time. It was crazy this time, also, but I’m just happy that I have a home, a place to go and finish out my career. I’m not one of those guys out there who’s worried about where they’re going to be, so I feel pretty good.”

Houston had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and 56 tackles last season for Detroit, his third season with the Lions. He had a career-best five interceptions in 2011.

In 87 career games, he has 332 tackles, 11 interceptions and four forced fumbles.

Jones’ agent tweeted the news of his client’s agreement with the Lions.

Jones went to high school in Lathrup Village, Mich., and played college football at Eastern Michigan. He was a backup defensive tackle last season for the Seahawks. His season ended in December due to a lingering knee injury.

But the 6-foot-5, 276-pound Jones could play a bigger role with the Lions, who may lose defensive end Cliff Avril to free agency.

Detroit also released veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch last month.

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