Cardinals vs. Texans Total Pick
Two teams with QB injuries battle it out Sunday at 1PM ET when the Houston Texans host the Arizona Cardinals. How will that impact the total?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Houston is a slight favorite at home, as the Texans are getting odds of -1 point against the Cardinals. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 38.5 points. The home team has won all three meetings between these two teams. The public betting in this one has the Cardinals getting 51 percent of the wagers on the road. Sunday’s game takes place from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and will air live on FOX.
Arizona is coming off a 22-16 loss to the Seahawks in Week 10. The Cardinals are now 4-5 on the season while putting up a 7-2 record with the under. Arizona has hit the under in three straight games. The Cards have struggled on offense all season, averaging just 17.2 points and 351.4 yards per game. Already without Carson Palmer due to a broken arm, backup QB Drew Stanton is dealing with a knee injury and may not play Sunday. Blaine Gabbert would make his season debut if Stanton can’t go. Larry Fitzgerald has caught 60 passes for 677 yards and three touchdowns while Adrian Peterson has rushed for 343 yards and two scores. Defensively, Arizona is allowing 24.8 points and 358.4 yards per game. Their run defense is keeping opponents under 100 yards per game. Chandler Jones is leading the unit with 10 sacks.
Houston is coming off a 33-7 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles for its third straight loss. The Texans are now 3-6 on the season and 5-4 with the over. The Texans have hit the under in two straight. Houston was moving the ball well when rookie Deshaun Watson was at QB, but after an ACL tear, Tom Savage is back at starter and the offense is sputtering again. Houston has scored a total of 28 points in the three games Savage has started. He has thrown for 502 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions while completing 47 percent of his passes. DeAndre Hopkins has caught 58 passes for 803 yards and eight touchdowns while Lamar Miller has run for 543 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Houston is giving up 26.8 points and 366.8 yards per game. They also have a run defense that is holding opponents under 100 yards per game.
The total is being set really low because both teams have quarterback issues. Neither defense is really great, but I think the offensive struggles will outdo the defensive ones. Both Savage and Stanton/Gabbert are likely to have poor outings and allow the opposing defenses to focus on stopping the run. Because of that, I see the under hitting in this one.
NFL WEEK 11 PREDICTION: CARDINALS/TEXANS UNDER 38.5