The NFL’s third-leading receiver, DeAndre Hopkins (1,081 yards, 9 TDs), will be on display when the Houston Texans (6-5) play the Buffalo Bills (5-6). In recent weeks, Buffalo has lost one of its last three. The game will begin Sunday, Dec 6 at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on CBS.
Buffalo dropped one to the Chiefs 30-22 last week. Sammy Watkins had a big game in the loss, registering six catches for 158 yards and two TDs. Tyrod Taylor also had a big day, contributing 291 yards and three TDs through the air. Houston is hoping for a similar result as last week when they beat the Saints 24-6. Ryan Griffin had a solid game for the Texans, totaling four catches for 72 yards and one TD.
The Bills, a three-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Houston visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 42 points.
The Bills enter the game with records of 5-6 Straight Up (SU) and 5-5-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Bills have records of 2-3 SU and 2-2-1 ATS. They should have plenty of scoring opportunities in this game, as the Texans have the 27th-ranked scoring defense on the road. Their ineffective defense gives up an average of 28.4 points per away game. The Buffalo run game is productive, currently ranking fifth in the NFL with 136.7 rushing yards per game. As for the Buffalo defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. Buffalo looks to use its formidable run defense, which gives up 86 rushing yards at home, against the visiting Texans. Buffalo gets off to a quick start in home games, averaging 6.6 points in the first quarter. The Bills may rely on Houston’s special teams as a means for better field position in this week’s game. The Texans rank last in return yards allowed with 102.2 allowed per game.
As for their opponent, the Texans have 6-5 SU and ATS records this season. In the previous five games, Houston has a record of 4-1 for both SU and ATS. Despite the home-field advantage, the Bills have struggled to stop their opponents through the air. The Texans will look to find holes in a pass defense that ranks 31st in the NFL with 287.2 passing yards allowed per game at home. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Houston defense could excel if they take advantage of favorable matchups. Houston’s third-ranked pass defense has given its competition issues. Opponents have thrown for 219.7 yards per game against this scary unit. The pass rushers for the Texans could have the upper hand in their matchup this week against the Bills, who rank 28th in the league with an average of three sacks allowed per home game. The Bills defense does not start second half well, allowing 7.6 points in the third quarter, one of the worst in the league. There is a possibility to see many yellow flags on the field when the Bills are playing. They are one of the most penalized teams in the NFL with 9.4 infractions per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Buf, ATS Winner – Hou, O/U – Under
Notes
Buffalo is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo’s last 6 games.
Buffalo is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Buffalo’s last 14 games at home.
Buffalo is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Houston.
Buffalo is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston.
Both teams are 4-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
Remarkably, Buffalo is winless (0-5 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (4-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
According to overall NFL pass rankings, Houston is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its 13th-ranked offensive passing game will face the 23rd-ranked pass defense of Buffalo, while its third-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 28th-ranked aerial attack of the Bills.
Houston has allowed 28.4 points per game on the road, which is ranked only 27th in the league. Buffalo has put up 24.6 points per game at home (ranked 14th overall).
