The Houston Texans (7-7) head to Nissan Stadium to play the Tennessee Titans (3-11) this week. In this week’s NFL game preview and picks, the NFL’s fourth-leading receiver, DeAndre Hopkins (1,315 yards, 10 TDs), will play an integral role in the outcome of this game. It will air Sunday, Dec 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Houston will have a chance to extend their four-game winning streak against Tennessee this week. Their last meeting came in Week 8, a 20-6 victory for the Texans. Wesley Woodyard led the Titans defensive effort in the last meeting, recording seven tackles. Delanie Walker chipped in with 62 yards on six catches. Whitney Mercilus led the defensive effort for Houston, recording six tackles and 3.5 sacks. DeAndre Hopkins had a great game as well, adding 94 yards and a TD on eight catches.
The odds between the Titans and the Texans are even this week, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available.
Sitting at 3-11 Straight Up (SU) and 4-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Titans will look to improve heading into Week 16. In their five most recent matchups, the Titans went 1-4 SU and 0-4-1 ATS. The Titans have a run defense in the top half of the league, while the Texans average 3.6 yards per rush, ranking 30th in the league. Tennessee, one of the least penalized teams in the NFL (second), is likely to stay in the referees’ good graces this week. The team has averaged 48 penalty yards per game this season.
Across the field, the Texans head into Week 16 with records of 7-7 for both ATS and SU. Over their last five games, the Texans have a SU and ATS record of 3-2. Averaging 131.6 rushing yards over its last five games, Houston’s running backs have picked it up as of late. For the season, they’ve only averaged 103.1 yards per game. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Titans to keep up with Houston’s defense in a few areas. Houston’s pass defense ranks second in the league. This frightening bunch gives up 211.2 yards per game through the air. The Tennessee offensive line, which ranks 31st in the league with 3.5 sacks allowed per game, could be a weakness for the Texans to attack. Tennessee will want to keep its intensity through the fourth quarter against the Texans, who average 8.1 points in the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou
Notes
Tennessee is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
Tennessee is 3-21 SU in its last 24 games.
Tennessee is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games at home.
Tennessee is 3-16-2 ATS in its last 21 games at home.
Tennessee is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Houston.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tennessee’s last 10 games when playing Houston.
Tennessee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston.
Tennessee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tennessee’s last 9 games when playing at home against Houston.
Houston is 4-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Tennessee is 2-3 SU when leading after three quarters.
Tennessee is only 1-6) SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet 2-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The Houston pass defense is ranked second in the league, while the Tennessee passing attack is ranked only 25th. The Texans’ passing game is ranked just 18th, compared to the 10th-ranked pass defense of the Titans.
