The first of four NFL divisional round games will take place Saturday afternoon. The Houston Texans are on the road at the Baltimore Ravens. The Houston Texans won the wildcard weekend, topping the Cleveland Browns. Houston went 10-7 during the regular season, and took down the AFC South title. Houston has won three straight games.
For the Baltimore Ravens, they went 13-4 during the regular season, which was enough to win the AFC North. The Ravens took last weekend off. Baltimore lost their regular season finale at home to Pittsburgh, but did not play most of their starters.
The Baltimore Ravens are -9 at home in this game over Houston. The total is listed at 45.5 points.
Ravens Tough from Top to Bottom
The Baltimore Ravens enter the matchup with a regular season point differential of +203. Having sealed a victory against the Texans in the season opener with a 16-point margin, Baltimore is now seeking their seventh win in eight attempts and aiming for a spot in the AFC title game.
Houston faces the challenge of containing Lamar Jackson, who is on the verge of reaching 4,000 passing yards (currently at 3,977) and 179 rushing yards away from hitting the 1,000-yard mark. Jackson has displayed his versatility with 24 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing touchdowns. Zay Flowers, a key figure in the passing game, is just 142 yards away from reaching 1,000 yards, accompanied by 5 touchdowns.
The return of Mark Andrews, the primary target throughout the season, is anticipated for the Ravens. In his absence, Isaiah Likely stepped up as a solid starter. Notably, the Ravens lead the league in rushing, averaging 156.5 yards per game. Also, they boast the best team defense, allowing a mere 16.5 points per game.
Houston Looking to Stay Hot
As the Texans seek their second playoff win, their victory over Cleveland saw them scoring 24 first-half points, featuring touchdowns from Nico Collins, Brevin Jordan, and Dalton Schultz. The second half showcased a dominant defensive performance, including two interception returns for touchdowns. Nico Collins contributed significantly with 96 yards in the win.
Houston’s quarterback, C.J. Stroud wrapped up the season with over 4,100 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, despite missing some time. Following the loss of Tank Dell, Nico Collins emerged as Stroud’s primary target, amassing 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and 8 touchdowns during the season.
Devin Singletary anchors the Texans’ run game, securing a late-game touchdown in the win over Cleveland. In the regular season, Singletary rushed 216 times for 898 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Texans averaged 22.2 points per game while allowing opponents to score 20.8.
Houston Covers Spread, Ravens Win Game
This should be a great football game. There may be some rust on one side after sitting out for two weeks. The Ravens are talented, and have a team that can run the football down the throat, and a quarterback in Jackson that continues to get better as a passer. The defense has been tremendous, and will have quite the game plan for Stroud and the Houston offense.
The Ravens are going to find a way to win this game, but Houston is going to compete and cover the spread. When we go to bet on the spread, the 9 points seems way too many. We like Houston +9 to cover on the road at Baltimore.
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