Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots, 9/6/18 NFL Predictions & Preview

Texans vs. Patriots Total Pick

In one of the featured NFL games of Week 1, the New England Patriots will host the Houston Texans on Sunday at 1PM ET. Will this game feature a lot of scoring?

Game Snapshot & Odds

465 Houston Texans at 466 New England Patriots

Sunday, September 9, 2018

1PM ET – Gillette Stadium

TV: CBS

Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new NFL Odds & Betting Page.

Public Betting Trends

According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Patriots are favored at home, as they are getting odds of -6.5 points against the Texans. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 51 points. The public betting for this game currently has 52 percent going on New England at home. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NFL Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.

Injuries hamper Texans

The Houston Texans had some promise early in the 2017 season, but injuries derailed the season and ultimately led to a 4-12 record. It was the first losing season for Bill O’Brien in his four years as head coach. The Texans were just 7-9 against the spread in 2017 and 9-7 with the under.

Houston averaged 21.1 points and 320 yards per game on offense last year. Rookie QB Deshaun Watson looked great last year before suffering a knee injury early in the year. Watson threw for 1,699 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 269 yards and two scores. DeAndre Hopkins had one of his best years as a pro, catching 96 passes for 1,378 yards and 13 touchdowns. Defensively, Houston allowed 27.3 points and 346.6 yards per game in 2017. The team again lost J.J. Watt early in the season due to injury before he could have much impact. Jadeveon Clowney had a career-high in sacks to step up for Watt, finishing the year with 9.5 sacks.

Patriots win another AFC title

It’s not often a team can look at a 15-4 record as a negative, but that is how the Patriots feel after losing in the Super Bowl to the Eagles last season. Bill Belichick comes into his 19^th season as head coach of the Patriots. He has a 214-74 record with New England, including five Super Bowl titles and eight AFC titles. The Pats finished last season with a 12-7 record against the spread and 10-9 with the under.

New England had the to offense in the NFL last season, averaging 28.6 points and 394.2 yards per game. Tom Brady continued to defy his age, throwing for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Both Rob Gronkowski and Brandin Cooks had over 1,000 yards receiving, but Cooks was shipped off to the Rams. Danny Amendola left for Miami and Julian Edelman has a four-game suspension to start the year. Defensively, New England gave up just 18.5 points per game last year, but did allow 366 yards per game, which was near the bottom of the NFL.

NFL Betting Trends

Houston

The Texans have hit the under in five of their last six conference games and in five of their last seven season openers.

New England

The Patriots have hit the over in nine of their last 13 home games and in four of their last five in September.

Prediction:

Watson got a taste of the Patriots last season before his injury, as he threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns in just his second start at New England. I think the Texans are going to come out looking to make a statement, especially with O’Brien’s connection to the Pats. New England shouldn’t take a step back on offense, especially against a suspect Houston defense. I think this game will have plenty of offense and fly past the total.

 

NFL Prediction: Texans/Patriots Over 51