Texans vs. Cardinals Pick
Can the Houston Texans manage to get back on track today when they play host to the Arizona Cardinals at 1PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Houston is a slight favorite at home, as the Texans are getting odds of -2.5 point against the Cardinals. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 37.5 points. The home team has won all three meetings between these two teams, covering the spread in two of the three meetings. The public betting in this one has the Texans getting 51 percent of the wagers at home. Today’s game takes place from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and will air live on FOX.
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 against the spread, failing to cover in their last two games. 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.
Arizona is coming off a 22-16 loss to the Seahawks in Week 10. The Cardinals are now 4-5 on the season and 2-6-1 against the spread this year. Arizona is 2-1-1 ATS in its last four 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 won start today. Blaine Gabbert will make his season debut today for the Cardinals. 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.
This game could be an ugly mess with two backup QBs starting. Gabbert is likely to struggle in his first start. The Texans aren’t likely to light the world on fire, but at least Savage has been an active player. That should give them the advantage today. Arizona is 2-5 against the spread in their last seven against a losing team and 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a failed cover.
NFL WEEK 11 PREDICTION: HOUSTON TEXANS -2.5