What in the world is happening to New England? The Patriots crashed to their second straight loss with a disappointing seven-point defeat to the struggling Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Bill Belichick’s men will look to get their season back in order when they take on the Houston Texans in a mouth-watering clash at NRG Stadium this coming Sunday.
Read on below for a preview of this explosive matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our Week 14 previews of Carolina vs. Atlanta and Minnesota vs. Arizona.
[sc:Football ]New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans Preview
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
When: Sunday, December 13, 8:30 PM ET
Line: New England Patriots (-3) at Houston Texans (+3); total: 45.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the New England Patriots (10-2)
The New England Patriots stumbled to their second consecutive defeat Sunday with a deflating 35-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a shocking result for the Patriots who suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in three years. New England has now dropped down to third place in the AFC standings with a 10-2 slate.
[sc:NFL240banner ]New England will look to get its title-retention bid back on track when they face the Houston Texans this coming Sunday. For the Patriots to snap their two-game losing skid, they need a much better performance from Tom Brady. He threw two costly picks that enabled Philadelphia to record the massive upset. He had never in four previous games against Philadelphia thrown an interception. It was Brady’s first multi-interception game since the Super Bowl win against Seattle.
It’s also crucial for the Patriots that they clean up their sloppy play. The Eagles’ defense and special teams pounced on New England’s miscues, combining for three touchdowns. The Patriots had allowed just three non-offensive touchdowns in their previous 32 games combined.
That being said, you can expect the Patriots to bounce back strongly against the Texans this coming weekend. New England has won five of its last six games against Houston. The Patriots have covered the spread in four of those six meetings.
The Patriots are 2-3 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Houston Texans (6-6)
The Houston Texans had their four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with a 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Texans had no answer for Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor who threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns. It was a disheartening defeat for the Texans who whiffed on their chance to gain some ground in the AFC South race.
It’s back to the drawing board for the Texans who will next face the defending champion Patriots. For Houston to return to winning ways this coming Sunday, it needs a quality performance from DeAndre Hopkins. He struggled somewhat against the Bills on Sunday, catching just five passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. That’s a far cry from his average of 97.4 receiving yards this campaign.
The onus then is on Brian Hoyer to target Hopkins more frequently. At halftime, Hopkins only had one catch for six yards against the Bills. It became even worse in the third quarter wherein Hoyer didn’t target Hopkins once. That’s quite a surprise considering Hopkins now owns the Texans’ franchise record for most passing touchdowns in a season with 10.
Apart from Hopkins, the Texans also need their run defense to step up its play against the Patriots. The Texans allowed the Bills to rack up 187 rushing yards, 134 of which came in the first half. None of the teams they played in their previous four games (Tennessee, Cincinnati, NY Jets and New Orleans) even reached the 100-yard mark.
The Texans are 4-2 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
New England (-3) wins, 27-24.
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