The Houston Texans (5-5) will put their three-game winning streak on the line when they take on the New Orleans Saints (4-6) this week. The NFL’s third-leading receiver, DeAndre Hopkins (1,045 yards, 9 TDs), and fifth-leading passer, Drew Brees (2,972 yards, 20 TDs), will play an integral role in the outcome of this game. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov 29 and will air on FOX.
In last week’s game, Houston got a win over the Jets 24-17. DeAndre Hopkins had a huge game in the victory, grabbing five receptions for 118 yards and two TDs. New Orleans is hoping for a different outcome after struggling mightily against the Redskins 47-14. Brandin Cooks had a great game for the Saints, pulling in five receptions for 98 yards and two TDs.
Houston is a three-point favorite against the Saints. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently at 49 points.
Sitting at 5-5 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Texans will look to improve heading into Week 12. In their five most recent matchups, the Texans went 4-1 for both SU and ATS. The passing game could be a priority for Houston against a New Orleans pass defense that ranks 31st in the league with 132.8 yards allowed per game. The Saints will have a hard time putting up points against Houston’s top-five home scoring defense, which gives up 17.2 points per home game. The Texans are one of the best in the league at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 9.5 points. On average, the Saints are given 8.2 flags each game, one of the worst rates in the league. Similar errors could benefit the Texans in this week’s game.
Shifting to the opposition, the Saints head into Week 12 with records of 4-5-1 ATS and 4-6 SU. Over their last five games, the Saints have a SU record of 3-2 and a 2-2-1 record ATS. New Orleans has made opposing defenses suffer as of late, averaging 30 points per game over the last five games. This improved stretch brought its season average to 25.5 PPG. New Orleans has performed well against defenses over the past five games, putting up an average of 442.8 total yards during that time. The first quarter is key for the quick-starting Saints, who average 7.6 points in the first 15 minutes. It’ll be difficult to keep New Orleans’s offense off the field this week. The team’s average time of possession is 32:57, ranking third in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – NO, O/U – Under
Notes
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston’s last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 games at home.
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home.
New Orleans is 3-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Houston is 3-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Remarkably, New Orleans is only 1-5 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (2-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
The New Orleans defense is averaging 3.0 sacks per game over its last five games, while the Houston defense is averaging 4.2 over its last five. New Orleans is winless this season (0-3 SU) when allowing at least 4.0 sacks. Houston is an even 2-2 SU when giving up at least 3.0 sacks.
The Houston passing attack is ranked sixth in the league, while the New Orleans pass defense is only ranked 31st. The Saints’ passing game is ranked second, compared to the fifth-ranked pass defense of the Texans.
