Week 9 Free Pick: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Posts AdminArticles, Football, NFL

The NFL’s going to England as the Houston Texans (-2) go toe-to-toe their AFC South counterpart Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. The matchup is scheduled to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET and fans can catch the action live on NFL Network.

Betting Preview: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

In this Sunday AFC game, Houston is tabbed as the favorite and is currently giving up 2 points. The Texans are also receiving -130 moneyline odds while the Jaguars are +110. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 48. With the Jaguars currently getting 2 points, oddsmakers think that this has the look of a 23-25 win for the Texans. There should be some solid in-game betting possibilities while the showdown is taking place.

Early action has slanted to the over, as the game’s O/U was initially set at 47.

The Texans are 4-4 against the spread (ATS) and have recorded 1.5 units so far. The team’s recorded an Over-Under mark of 4-4.

The Jaguars have lost 0.1 units this season. The team is 5-3 ATS and owns an O/U record of 4-3-1.

The Texans have gone 5-3 straight up (SU), including 1-1 SU against AFC South opponents. The Jaguars are 4-4 SU overall and also 1-1 SU against divisional foes.

The Texans enter after a 27-24 win over Oakland last week. Deshaun Watson completed 27 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Carlos Hyde (83 yards on 19 rush attempts) and the signal-caller Watson (46 yards on 10 carries) led the running attack. DeAndre Hopkins (11 receptions, 109 yards) and Darren Fells (six catches, 58 yards, two TDs) shared the receiving duties in the win.

Jacksonville just earned a 29-15 win over the Jets in Week 8. Gardner Minshew II completed 22-of-34 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Leonard Fournette (76 yards on 19 rush attempts) led the running game while Fournette (seven receptions, 60 yards) and DJ Chark Jr. (six catches, 79 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the win.

In terms of offensive play-calling, each team has a similar run-pass ratio on the season. Houston’s run the ball on 45.0 percent of its offensive possessions while Jacksonville has a rush percentage of 46.0. The Texans have run for 133.6 yards per game (including 113 per game against South opponents) and have nine scores on the ground this year. The Jags are totaling 136.5 rush yards per game (95.5 in conference) and have just one rushing TD.

If the numbers so far this season are any indication, then it appears the Jags should have the edge in the trenches, since their offensive line has yielded only 18 sacks while the D-line has logged 29 sacks. The Texans O-line has allowed 24 sacks and their defense has generated only 17 sacks.

The Texans offensive scheme has logged 278.9 yards/contest through the air overall (233.5 per game versus conference opposition) and has 16 passing scores so far. The Jags have put up 256.4 pass yards per contest (209 against AFC foes) and have 14 total pass TD.

On the defensive side of the ball, Houston has allowed 85.4 rush yards and 293.4 pass yards per game. The Jacksonville defense has given up 257.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 108.3 yards per game on the ground. The Jags are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.74 to opponents, while the Texans have given up a 7.53 ANY/A.

Minshew II has managed to complete 146-of-228 passes for 1,721 yards, 12 TDs and two INTs. Minshew II’s adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 7.28 for the year and 8.60 over his last two outings. In the other locker room, Watson is up to 1,923 passing yards on the year, and has connected on 167-of-240 attempts with 15 passing touchdowns and only three interceptions. Watson has a 7.53 ANY/A, including 6.82 over the last two outings.

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars Free Betting Pick

SU Winner: Jaguars, ATS Winner: Jaguars, O/U: Under

Team Betting Notes

  • The Over/Under for Houston’s last game was set at 52. The under cashed in the team’s 27-24 victory over Oakland.
  • Houston, as a team, has averaged 4.4 yards per carry over its past three contests and 4.1 over its last two.
  • Jacksonville has averaged 3.9 yards per carry over its last three outings and 4.2 over its last two.
  • Jacksonville has lost six fumbles this season while Houston has let four get away.
  • In its last three contests, Houston is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
  • Houston has won four of its last five games SU, with a seven-point loss to Indianapolis on October 20th representing the only defeat over that stretch.
  • The Over/Under for Jacksonville’s last outing was set at 40. The over cashed in the 29-15 victory over the Jets.
  • Over its last three matches, Jacksonville is 2-1 ATS.
  • The Texans offense has produced seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Jaguars have put up three such plays.
  • The Houston defense has allowed six pass plays of 40+ yards, while Jacksonville has given up seven such plays.
  • The Houston offense has created nine rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Jacksonville has created eight such runs.
  • Both teams have allowed four rushing plays of 20 or more yards. The Texans have given up 17 running plays of 10+ yards while the Jaguars have given up 22 such plays.
  • The Jacksonville defensive unit has produced 29 sacks on the year while Houston has just 17.