The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) head to NRG Stadium to play the Houston Texans (0-2) this week. The game will air Sunday, Sep 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
In last week’s game, Houston fell to Carolina 24-17. Ryan Mallett had a mediocre performance through the air in the loss, connecting on 27 of 58 pass attempts for 244 yards, one TD and one interception. Nate Washington chipped in with 63 yards on three catches. Tampa Bay is looking to repeat last week when it defeated New Orleans 26-19. Jameis Winston had a solid performance through the air for the Buccaneers, connecting on 14 of 21 pass attempts for 207 yards and one TD. Louis Murphy was a factor as well, totaling 82 yards on three catches.
Houston is a four-point favorite against the Buccaneers. The Over/Under (O/U) line is currently at 40 points for this matchup.
The Texans have performed below expectations so far this year. It’s still early, but a 0-2 record Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) could be improved. No team throws the ball more than the Texans. They lead the league with 52.5 passing attempts per game. As for the Houston defense, a few key matchups could decide this game. Houston’s defensive backs could have an edge on the Buccaneers and their struggling pass game. Tampa Bay averages 187.5 yards per game through the air, ranking 29th in the NFL. The Texans will look to pass rush Tampa Bay’s quarterback. They may get a few opportunities since the Buccaneers rank 28th in sacks allowed with 3.5 per game. Concentration could be a key factor in this week’s game. The Texans hope to profit on Tampa Bay’s mental lapses, which contribute to 93 penalty yards per game.
Shifting to the opposition, the Buccaneers head into Week 3 with records of 1-1 both ATS and SU. Odds are in favor of Tampa Bay continuing to rely on its run game against a defense that allows 134.5 rushing yards per game, ranking 26th in the league. Special teams coverage could improve for the Texans, ranking among the worst in the league with 98 return yards allowed per game
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, ATS Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 games.
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston’s last 7 games at home.
Houston is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games at home.
Tampa Bay is 1-0 SU when leading at the half this season.
The Houston passing attack is ranked only eighth in the league, while the Tampa Bay pass defense is ranked sixth. The Buccaneers’ passing game is ranked just 29th, compared to the 11th-ranked pass defense of the Texans.
