Thursday Night Football Odds, Picks & Predictions: Eagles vs. Texans (Week 9)
The Houston Texans (1-5-1) will host the Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) on Thursday Night Football at NRG Stadium in Houston at 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.
The Eagles maintained their unblemished record with a 35-13 thrashing of the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. Philadelphia is now 5-1 against the spread (ATS) over the previous 6 games, and the Over has won three of the past four. Week 8 saw the Texans put up a good fight against the visiting Tennessee Titans, but they fell short and were defeated 17-10. The Texans are currently just 1-3-1 ATS over their last five games after starting 2-0 ATS.
Let’s take a closer look at how this one might play out.
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NFL Week 9 Thursday Night Football Odds, Picks & Predictions (Eagles vs. Texans)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Details
- Opening Line: Eagles -13 | O/U 43
- Current Line: Eagles -13.5 | O/U 44.5
- Last meeting: December 23, 2018 – Texans 30, Eagles 32
Overview
With a first-half scoring average of 21 points, Philadelphia is the best team in the league in the first 30 minutes of play. But the Eagles have only managed 49 total points in the second halves of games after scoring 147 total points in the first up to this point.
When setting the groundwork with a road favorite on a quick turnaround, especially when visiting the likes of the Texans, who have been better than their record suggests, that disappearing act in the last 30 minutes can be concerning.
According to head coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles’ preparation for the Texans shouldn’t be hampered by the short turnaround for travel to Houston on Thursday night. He told reporters that the team’s previous bye week in Week 7 was spent largely on game planning and tactics, and this week’s limited practice time will merely focus on maintaining a high energy level.
While I stand by the Texans being better than their record, Houston’s offense has stalled greatly this season. To this point, they are averaging just eight points per half this season, and that number has dropped to 6.3 points over the past three games. The Texans could only score one field goal against Tennessee on Sunday, scoring 14 points or less for the third time this season.
Bottom Line
The Texans have seen several excellent defenses this year, but this Philly team is by far the strongest. Pass protection is a huge issue for Houston heading into the short week as QB Davis Mills has been pressured on 26.4% of dropbacks, the sixth-highest pressure rate for quarterbacks. The challenge gets even greater when you consider the fact Houston has injury issues across the offensive line.
For me, all signs point towards yet another ugly Thursday night under.
Pick: Under 44.5
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