There is a BUNCH on the line when the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans get together on Sunday afternoon. While the AFC South is over, with the Texans winning the division, the Tennessee Titans are looking to stamp their ticket into the postseason. Basically, if the Titans win this game in Houston, they win the final wildcard spot in the AFC and would play a road game next weekend. The Titans come into this game at -6 over the Texans.
Texans Not Playing for Much?
While many are saying the Houston Texans are not playing for much, keeping their divisional rivals out of the postseason may be enough motivation. Folks around the Texans are not sure what Bill O’Brien is going to do with his roster, and how long they will play. That makes predicting the game very difficult. We have a hunch that Houston is going to play straight up to win this game. They won the first matchup in Nashville in Week 15 by a score of 24-21.
The Texans have won back to back games, led by the quarterback play of DeShaun Watson. While he was an MVP candidate at the start of the season, the former Clemson signal-caller has still put together a pretty solid 2019 season. Watson has thrown for more than 3,800 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has thrown 12 interceptions on nearly 500 passes this season.
DeAndre Hopkins is and always has been his top target. Hopkins has caught 104 passes in 2019, with 7 of them going for touchdowns. Hopkins also leads the team with more than 1,150 receiving yards. Carlos Hyde has been a godsend for the Houston offense. The running back needs just 43 in this game to reach 1,100 on the season. Hyde also has 6 touchdowns on the ground.
Titans Hungry to Find a Way
The Titans are hungry to find a way into the postseason and feel fortunate to still have a chance. The Titans have dropped back to back games. In fact, they were beaten 24-21 by the Texans and then smacked around, allowing 38 points at home to the Saints. The Titans will look to get the defense back on track, which has allowed teams this season to score 21.1 per game.
Derrick Henry and rookie receiving A.J. Browns are the top threats in this offense. Henry has put together a monster season with nearly 1,400 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Brown, on the other hand, needs just 63 yards to reach 1,000 receiving yards. Brown leads the team with 7 touchdowns on 48 receptions.
Ryan Tannehill took over early in the season for the struggling Marcus Mariota. Tannehill has thrown for 20 touchdowns in his part-time action. The Titans, if they reach the postseason would be in for the second time in three seasons.
Fun One in Houston
As we said earlier, we expect the Houston Texans to give this game a great effort. While they may sit guys a little more often than usual, they are going to put a team that is capable of winning this game on the field. This will not be a game where the Titans can just show up and expect to win. If DeAndre Hopkins is on the field, Houston is going to try to win this game.
Look for Houston to put on their defensive shoes. They will make every effort to stop Derrick Henry from running wild on them. They will force Ryan Tannehill to do that. The veteran has been good, but not sure he has the ability to beat them via the air in this game.
The game is in Houston, we like Houston, so we are betting the Texans. Take the Houston Texans at +6 over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 of the National Football League!
