After losing their previous two games, the Houston Texans finally got back on track by beating their division rival Indianapolis Colts, 16-10, to nab the top spot in the AFC South. The Texans will now look to build on their momentum and capture another much-needed win when they travel to Nashville to faceoff with the Tennessee Titans. Can they take care of business again and be a step closer towards a division title?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this AFC South showdown. And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 16 previews: Bears at Bucs and Cowboys at Bills.
[sc:Football ]Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans Preview
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
When: Sunday, December 27, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Houston Texans (7-7)
With Brian Hoyer sidelined due to a concussion and backup T.J Yates injuring his left knee in the first half, the Houston Texans were left with Brandon Weeden behind center last Sunday versus the Indianapolis Colts. Fortunately, they weren’t disappointed with the outcome.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Weeden, the 32-year-old third-stringer, accomplished something that no other Houston quarterback has ever done—win a game at Indianapolis. He led the Texans towards the 16-10 triumph by finishing with 105 passing yards (11-of-18) and a touchdown.
That win marked their seventh of the season which also allowed them to take sole possession of the first spot in the AFC South. But the Texans don’t have the luxury to celebrate just yet as they still have two crucial games to take care off. The first one will commence this weekend at Nissan Stadium for a battle with their division rivals in the Tennessee Titans, who have lost four of their last five contests.
Expect the Texans to remain faithful to their well-balanced offense, which averages 99.1 rushing yards and 242.1 passing yards per game, in this one. That said, look to the pair of RB Alfred Blue and WR DeAndre Hopkins to get their touches all game long especially with Hoyer likely to make his return.
Blue, who was held without a carry in Week 14, wasted no time in redeeming himself by finishing with a game-high of 107 rushing yards on 20 carries opposite Indy. Hopkins, meanwhile, made sure to make his presence felt as well with 94 yards on 11 receptions in the same matchup. He also leads the team with 1,315 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns this year.
Houston is 6-4 SU and ATS in its last 10 games.
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Betting on the Tennessee Titans (3-11)
From start to finish, the Tennessee Titans were clearly no match against the New England Patriots, who crushed them on Sunday, 33-16. Tom Brady was his usual dominant self, throwing for 267 yards with two touchdowns—one each to Rob Gronkowski and James White—and zero interceptions.
Making matters worse for the Titans was that their prized rookie quarterback in Marcus Mariota left early with a knee injury and was immediately replaced by backup Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger finished with 242 yards (20-of-28) with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions, and was sacked twice as well.
Now, the Titans will look to keep moving forward—with or without Mariota behind center—and play spoilers when the playoff-seeking Houston Texans pay them a visit at Nissan Stadium this weekend. Tennessee‘s best chances of success would probably depend on their top receivers, Delanie Walker and Dorial Green-Beckham.
Walker was one of the few bright spots against the Pats, finishing with 64 yards on two catches with the Titans’ only two touchdowns. He also carries a team-high of 938 yards receiving and five touchdowns this season. Green-Beckham, on the other hand, was actually even better during that game as he had 113 yards on six receptions. That was the second time in three games that he’s eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
Both Walker and Green-Beckham though, will really need to be more creative and aggressive in getting through a Houston defense, which ranks fourth-best in the NFL with just 320.8 total yards given up per game.
Meanwhile, Mariota’s status remains questionable for next week. If he can’t go, Mettenberger get the start especially since the Titans don’t really have anything to fight for this season. Mettenberger has played in five games this season, completing 67 percent of his passes for 663 yards, with three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Tennessee is 1-4 SU and 1-3-1 ATS in its past five games at Nissan Stadium.
Writer’s Prediction
Houston gets the easy 27-17 win. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the NFL regular season action.
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