The Houston Texans need a bounce-back win in the worst way just to show their dominance as a contender in the AFC South.
The good news? Winless Jacksonville comes to NRG Stadium after an embarrassing Monday Night Football showcase against the Buffalo Bills.
Most people believed Houston would secure a win over the Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars during the preseason. Vegas is now sold that the Texans will win after setting the line at 6.5.
The total, according to BetMGM, is set at 45.5.
Houston is coming off the worst loss of the DeMeco Ryans era, suffering a 34-7 defeat at the hands of Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings. C.J. Stroud tossed a pair of interceptions to set up scoring drives for Minnesota’s offense. The offensive line was penalized seven times, including five against Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
“I’m excited, because the only way we go now is up,” Stroud said following the loss. “I’m very grateful and blessed that we did get our tails whooped today. It’s something to learn from, and I’m glad it happened early. And now it’s time to get to work.”
Jacksonville must win if it plans on making a late push for the postseason. Doug Pederson could be on the hottest seat in the NFL after suffering a 47-10 loss on the road at Highmark Stadium.
Josh Allen tossed four touchdown passes while James Cook and Ray Davis scored on the ground.
Trevor Lawrence, who inked a lucrative contract extension in the offseason worth $275 million, threw for 178 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Through three games, Lawrence is only completing 52.8 percent of his passes.
While Vegas has been a fan of Houston this season, the results haven’t been promising. The Texans have been favored in all three games but couldn’t cover the spread in Week 1 or Week 2.
Houston could be short-handed on offense, especially on the ground. Both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce missed practice on Wedensday and Thursday.
Receiver Tank Dell left just before the end of Sunday’s loss with what’s been ruled a chest injury. According to multiple reports, he’s not expected to play against the Jaguars.
Will Houston return to its winning ways at home? Will Jacksonville finally get a win and improve to 1-0 in the division heading into Week 5?
Who walks away victorious in Sunday’s noon kickoff?
VOTE!