Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans Preview
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
When: Sunday, October 2, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Titans (+6.5) at Houston Texans (-6.5); total: 40.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Writer’s Pick: Houston Texans (-6.5)
Betting on the Tennessee Titans (+6.5)
The Tennessee Titans were sent crashing back to earth on Sunday with a deflating 17-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders. The Titans had an excellent opportunity to record their second straight victory, but several missed chances on the offensive end denied them a 2-1 slate. Marcus Mariota was the main culprit for the Titans’ loss as he turned the ball over a whopping three times. He now has lost three fumbles with four interceptions already this season.
For the Titans to return to winning ways against the Texans, they will need to do a much better job on their third-down opportunities. They converted just two of their 12 third-down attempts against Oakland on Sunday. The onus then is on Mariota to improve on his passing accuracy. He completed just 17 of 33 passes against Houston for a measly passer rating of 46.8.
Apart from Mariota, the Titans also need DeMarco Murray to step up his game against Houston. The NFL’s 2014 offensive player of the year was in sublime form in the loss to Oakland, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Murray’s the first Tennessee running back to reach 100 yards in a game since the Titans’ 2013 season finale. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing a Houston defensive line that’s allowing 125.7 yards per game on the ground this season, sixth-highest in the NFL.
The Titans are 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the Houston Texans (-6.5)
The Houston Texans had their two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday with a humiliating 27-0 loss to the New England Patriots. It was a disheartening defeat for the Texans who were shut out for the first time since 2003. Houston entered the game with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, but the Texans struggled to put pressure on emergency starter Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots’ third-string quarterback wreaked havoc against the clueless Houston D, finishing with 151 total yards and a touchdown.
It’s back to the drawing board for the Texans who still hold a one-game lead atop the AFC South standings. For Houston to get its season back on track against Tennessee, it needs to get a quality performance from Brock Osweiler. He struggled mightily against the Patriots on Thursday, completing just 24 of 41 passes for 196 yards and an interception. That’s a far cry from Osweiler’s 249.5 yard per game average in the Texans’ first two outings.
It’s also paramount for the Texans that they take good care of the football against the Titans. They committed three turnovers on Thursday that led to 14 easy New England points. Houston’s special teams turned the ball over twice on fumbled kickoff returns. The Texans need to eradicate those mistakes for them to punish a Tennessee defense that’s allowing just 19 points per contest this season, ninth-fewest in the NFL.
The Texans are 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Texans (-6.5) bounce back with a resounding 27-10 win.
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