Which team is going to stop the rampaging Houston Texans? The Texans (+2,500 to win Super Bowl 53) have gotten on a groove and they are eyeing prolong their unbeaten stretch this coming Sunday when they take on the Denver Broncos (+12,500 to win the AFC West) on the road. The Broncos are growing desperate for wins, as they are floating further and further away from a possible playoffs appearance each passing week, thanks to a flurry of losses.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien looked as though he was daring Houston’s front office to fire him when the team opened the season with three-straight losses. That’s no longer the case, as the Texans are on a seemingly unstoppable roll. By defeating the Miami Dolphins 42-23 at home in Week 8, the Texans extended their win streak to five games. The win against the Fins saw running back Lamar Miller rack up a dizzying total of 133 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Tailback Alfred Blue added 42 rushing yards on 15 carries. As a team, Houston had 188 rushing yards on 35 attempts. Denver’s run defense hasn’t been anywhere close to the brand it was in previous years. The Broncos are 27th in the league135.8 rushing yards allowed per game, so expect Miller and Blue to see holes on Denver’s defensive line to burst through. Speaking of defense, J.J. Watt and the Texans’ pass rush should be salivating at the prospect of facing a seemingly weak Denver offensive line that let Case Keenum to get sacked five times for a loss of 40 yards.
On the road thus far this season, the Texans are both 2-2 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS). In addition, bettors should note that the under is 3-1 in the Texans’ last four games overall.
Betting on the Denver Broncos (3-5)
The Broncos grabbed the headlines on Tuesday by shipping veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the same team they’ll face this coming weekend. That’s right. Denver traded Thomas to the Texans in exchange for a pair of future draft picks. Losing Thomas should open up more opportunities for Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Sutton led the Broncos in last week’s 30-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium with 78 receiving yards on three catches and four targets. Also, Denver’s backfield should also see an uptick in usage following Thomas’ departure. Running backs Philip Lindsay and Devontae Booker had 95 and 78 rushing yards, respectively, against the Chiefs, with the former finding the end zone once. Despite a 3-5 record, the Broncos have managed to keep in step with Super Bowl contenders in the Chiefs and in the Los Angeles Rams this season, as they lost three games to those teams by a mere total of 13 points.
The Broncos are 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.
