The New York Giants (+6) are heading southwest to face the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. FOX owns the TV rights and the game’s scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.
New York Giants vs. Houston Texans Betting Preview
The Giants head into this Sunday matchup as the dog here and they’re currently getting 6 points. The Giants are also receiving +180 moneyline odds while the Texans are -220. There should be some decent live betting opportunities while this contest is underway, and oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 41 points.
Sharp bettors have been siding with both the Texans and the under. This game’s opening line was initially placed at -4 while the total was originally 44.
The Giants have lost 2.0 units this season and are 0-2 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an O/U record of 0-2. The Texans have lost 2.5 units this year. The team is 0-2 ATS and also has an O/U record of 0-2.
The Giants have gone 0-2 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Texans are also 0-2 SU.
The Giants fell to Dallas 20-13 in a Week 2 game where their defense allowed the Cowboys to run for 138 yards on 25 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Tavon Austin had a productive day for the Cowboys in that one with 79 yards and a score on two catches. On the offensive side of the ball, Eli Manning completed 33 passes on 44 attempts for 279 yards and one touchdown. Saquon Barkley (28 rushing yards on 11 attempts) spearheaded the ground attack in the loss. Barkley (14 receptions, 80 yards) and Evan Engram (seven catches, 67 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties.
In Week 2, Tennessee knocked off this Houston team by a score of 20-17. The Texans defensive unit allowed the Titans to kill the clock by rushing for 100 yards on 34 attempts. Derrick Henry had a solid showing, recording 56 rushing yards on 18 attempts for Tennessee. For Houston, Deshaun Watson completed 22-of-32 passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Lamar Miller (68 rushing yards on 14 attempts) spearheaded the ground game in the defeat while Will Fuller V (eight receptions, 113 yards, one TD) and DeAndre Hopkins (six catches, 110 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack.
New York’s run the ball on 33.1 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Houston has a rush percentage of 47.6 percent. The Giants have rushed for 75 yards per game and have only one touchdown via handoffs this year. The Texans are averaging 158 rushing yards per game and have only one rush TD.
If the numbers so far this season are any indication, then it appears the Texans ought to own an advantage when it comes to RB efficiency, as their backfield has generated 5.3 yards per carry while their defense has allowed a YPC of 3.4 to opponents. The Giants have rushed for 3.7 yards per carry while allowing 5.2 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The G-Men offensive scheme has averaged 252 yards through the air overall and has only one passing TD so far. The Texans have recorded 243 pass yards per game and have three total pass score.
New York should have an edge when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 138 yards and throw for 168 yards per game. The Houston defense has allowed 234.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 111.0 yards per game on the ground. The G-Men are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.47 to opponents, while the Texans have given up a 7.89 ANY/A.
Offensively, Manning is up to 279 passing yards this season, and has connected on 75 percent of his 44 attempts with one passing scores and has yet to throw an interception. Manning’s got a 4.80 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 4.55 over the last two outings.
Look for a balanced attack offensively from New York in this one. Saquon Barkley (28 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards this season), Odell Beckham Jr. (51 receiving yards) and Evan Engram (67 receiving yards, one TD) have all played significant roles lately.
Deshaun Watson has completed 22-of-32 passes for 310 yards, two TDs and one INT for Houston. His ANY/A stands at 7.89 for the season and 5.71 over his last two outings.
DeAndre Hopkins, Lamar Miller and Will Fuller V have combined to account for 473 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns the last two outings.
NFL Prediction: Giants vs. Texans
SU Winner – Texans, ATS Winner – Giants, O/U – Over
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
When it comes to explosive plays, both teams have produced zero pass plays of 40+ yards and zero pass plays of 30+ yards.
Both defenses have allowed zero pass plays of 40 yards or more and one pass play of 30+ yards.
Both defenses have produced one rushing play of 20+ yards. The New York offense has recorded two running plays of 10+ yards while Houston has accounted for six such plays.
The Giants defense has allowed one rushing play of 20 or more yards, while the Texans have given up zero such runs.
The Houston defense has sacked opposing QBs three times this year. New York has produced one sacks.
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