The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) head to NRG Stadium to play the Houston Texans (0-2) this week. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sep 27 and will air on FOX.
In last week’s game, Houston fell to Carolina 24-17. Rahim Moore led the defensive effort for Houston in the loss, recording three tackles and one interception. Ryan Mallett also had a great game with 244 yards and a TD through the air. Tampa Bay is looking to repeat last week when it defeated New Orleans 26-19. Jacquies Smith led the defensive effort for Tampa Bay, recording three tackles and three sacks.
The Buccaneers are a four-point underdog against the Texans and the Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 40 points.
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. The Texans often throw the ball. Their 52.5 passing attempts per game are highest in the league. 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 need to attack the quarterback against the Buccaneers, who 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.
As for their opponent, 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.
