Lions vs. Texans Prediction
Will the Houston Texans cure their offensive woes today when they face the Detroit Lions at 1PM ET?
According to the oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Texans are favored at home this Sunday, as they are getting odds of -2.5 points against the Lions. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 45.5 points. These two have met three times in NFL history, with the Texans winning two of the three meetings. They have hit the over in all three meetings.
The Lions come into this game at 4-3 on the season thanks to a 3-game winning streak, with all three wins coming at home. The Lions are 4-3 with the over on the season as well. The Lions are only averaging 24.3 points and 362.9 yards per game this season, but Matthew Stafford is still an MVP candidate at the midway point for his play on offense. He has thrown for 1,914 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He ranks third in the NFL in QB rating at 105.7. He is also doing all this without much of a run game, but the Lions should be getting Theo Riddick back this week after he missed two games with injury. He has 171 rushing yards and 190 receiving yards with four total touchdowns. Eric Ebron is also expected to return after missing the last three games with an injury. On defense, Detroit has struggled, allowing 395.7 yards per game. That may not change much this week as DT Haloti Ngata is questionable with a shoulder injury while top cornerback Darius Slay (hamstring) has been ruled out. That won’t help a Lions pass defense that is giving up 284.3 yards per contest.
Houston is coming off a 27-9 loss on Monday night to the Broncos in Denver. They are now 4-3 on the season and 4-3 with the under. The Texans have been led this year by their defense, as they allow just 333.6 yards per game, which includes just 198.1 passing yards per contest. The defense has made up for an offense that is averaging just 16.7 points and 334.3 yards per game. Brock Osweiler is struggling as the starting QB, as he has thrown for just 1,533 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2016, but also has 8 interceptions. Lamar Miller has run for 581 yards and a touchdown, but is dealing with a shoulder injury that could limit his touches today.
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It was just a few weeks ago that Detroit made Case Keenum of the Rams look like a Pro Bowl QB. I think Osweiler will see the same boost in this game, especially with the Lions playing without Slay. While Houston has a pretty good defense, the Detroit offensive line has given Stafford time lately, which has allowed him to make some big plays downfield. Look for him to also have some success as these two teams hit the over.
NFL WEEK 8 PREDICTION: LIONS/TEXANS OVER 45.5