The Houston Texans are finally healthy again, and what a way for them to kick off the season, as they are bound to face the New England Patriots in Foxborough this coming Sunday. Will J.J. Watt and company put the Pats’ offense on a chokehold? Or will Tom Brady and his group show why the Patriots are the favorites to win Super Bowl 53 with odds of +600 to do it in the NFL Futures?
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Betting Preview for the Houston Texans vs New England Patriots NFL Season Week 1 Game on September 9, 2018
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
When: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Houston Texans (+6.5) vs New England Patriots (-6.5) – view all 2018 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Houston Texans (+6.5)
This is arguably the best game for Houston to find out whether it’s vaunted defense is truly as scary on the field as it is on paper. The Texans have a stop unit that will kick the season with a healthy duo of Whitney Mercilus and J.J. Watt, former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, and the pair of sweet new additions to the secondary in cornerback Aaron Colvin and safety Tyrann Mathieu. In other words, the Texans are built to stymie their opponents’ attack. Last season, Houston finished last with 27.2 points per game, but it would be foolish to base the strength of this team’s defense on that number, when most of their defensive aces missed time due to injuries.
Texans fans should also be thrilled with the return of dual-threat quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was doing a fantastic job under center as a rookie in 2017 until he got taken out of the season by a devastating knee injury. In seven games last year, Watson passed for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
The Texans are 4-4 ATS in their last eight road games.
Betting on the New England Patriots (-6.5)
So long as the Patriots have the tandem of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, they will always be a huge challenge for every other team in the NFL. Brady comes back for his 19th season in the league coming off a bitter-tasting loss at the Super Bowl earlier this year. That setback, however, does little to diminish the respect New England is getting for, well, simply being New England.
However, the receiving corps seem a little thin entering the season with Julian Edelman serving a four-game suspension to kick off the season and Danny Amendola now with the Miami Dolphins. At least, Brady still have Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski to hit downfield. Hogan is poised to have a big year as he’s expected to lead the wide receivers this time around a season after recording 439 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2017. Gronk, meanwhile, led the Pats that season with 1,084 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 106 receptions.
Defensively, the Patriots are more solid. Dont’a Hightower is healthy again while Adrian Clayborn will add more pressure up front. Last season, New England finished seventh in scoring defense with only 19.5 points allowed per game.
New England is 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in its last six home games against the Texans,
Writer’s Prediction
Houston wins, 24-23.
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