The Houston Texans are set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. This crucial early afternoon game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and CBS is scheduled to televise the action.
Houston Texans vs. Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview
This game is currently a toss-up. If one team can create a bunch of points in the early stages it’ll result in a worthwhile in-game betting opportunity. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 45 points.
Odds have shifted from where they were originally posted. The line opened at 1.5, while the game’s total has not moved after it was set initially at 45.
The Texans have gained 3.6 units so far and are 6-6-2 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been a decent under bet and have posted an O/U record of 6-8. The Eagles are down 0.5 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 5-9 ATS and have an O/U record of 5-8-1.
The Texans have gone 10-4 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Eagles are 7-7 SU.
The Texans just notched a 29-22 win over the Jets last week. The passing attack was sharp as Deshaun Watson completed 22 passes on 28 attempts for 294 yards and two touchdowns. Alfred Blue (six yards on nine rush attempts) led the ground attack. DeAndre Hopkins (10 receptions, 170 yards, two TDs) and Demaryius Thomas (six catches, 59 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
Philadelphia is coming off of a 30-23 win over the Rams in Week 15. The defensive secondary allowed the Rams to air it out for 339 yards. Todd Gurley II had a productive outing in the loss, recording 48 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 attempts, along with 76 yards and a score on 10 catches for Los Angeles. For Philadelphia, Nick Foles completed 24-of-31 passes for 270 yards and one interception. Josh Adams (28 yards on 15 rush attempts, one TD) and Wendell Smallwood (48 yards on 10 carries, two TDs) handled the running game as Alshon Jeffery (eight receptions, 160 yards) and Golden Tate (five catches, 43 yards) led the receiving attack in the win.
Houston has run the ball on 49.4 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Philadelphia has an overall rush percentage of 39.9 percent. The Texans have run for 130 yards/game and have eight scores on the ground this year. The Eagles are averaging 99 rush yards per game and have 12 total rushing TDs.
Based on the numbers so far, it appears that the Texans might hold an edge when it comes to effectiveness in the ground game. Their running backs has produced 4.3 yards per carry while the defense is allowing 3.6 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Eagles have rushed for 4.0 yards per carry and allowed a YPC of 4.9 to opponents.
The Texans offensive scheme has logged 257 yards/contest through the air overall and has 24 passing TDs so far. The Eagles have recorded 272 pass yards per game and have 22 total pass scores.
Houston seems to have an edge in both areas of the defense. The team’s allowed opponents to run for an average of 88 yards and pass for 279 yards per game. The Philadelphia D has allowed 298.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 104.9 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Texans have given up an ANY/A of 6.33 to opposing QBs, while the Eagles are allowing an ANY/A of 6.54.
Offensively, Watson has amassed 3,325 passing yards on the year, and has completed 67 percent of his 392 attempts with 23 passing scores and nine interceptions. He’s got a 7.05 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 6.82 over the last two games.
Nick Foles has completed 78-of-113 passes for 721 yards, one TD and two INTs for Philadelphia. His ANY/A stands at 5.30 for the season and 7.26 across his last two games.
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Notes
Team Betting Notes
Houston has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over its last three outings and 3.2 over its last two.
Philadelphia has averaged 3.6 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 3.3 over its past two.
Philadelphia has lost 10 fumbles this season while Houston has lost five.
Houston has won 11 of its last 12 games SU, with a three-point defeat to Indianapolis on December 9th accounting for the only loss over that stretch.
Philadelphia has won four of its last five games SU, with a -6-point loss to Dallas on December 9th representing the only slip-up over that stretch.
The Eagles have made 21 pass plays of 30+ yards while the Texans have produced 18 such plays.
The Houston defense has allowed 10 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Philadelphia has given up six such plays.
The Houston offense has created eight rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Philadelphia has created seven such runs.
The Texans defense has allowed three rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Eagles have given up 13 such runs.
The Houston defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 39 times this year. Philadelphia has recorded 35 sacks.
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