Two teams fighting to remain in the playoff race meet on Sunday in Houston as the Texans host the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are down to their third string quarterback which is the main reason they are almost a touchdown underdog in this contest in NFL betting. Gamblers at Sbgglobal have to decide whether to trust the Titans with a rookie quarterback or go with the Texans who have lost four straight.
Houston -6.5, total 45.5
It is somewhat strange to see Houston favored by almost a touchdown in this game. The Texans are 4-6 and actually a game behind the Titans in the division. Houston has been finding ways to lose games recently and now they are laying almost a TD?
Titans Rookie Quarterback
The news this week in Tennessee has surrounded the relationship between starting quarterback Vince Young and head coach Jeff Fisher. It really doesn’t matter though what the relationship is since Young is out for the rest of the season with a thumb injury. Backup Kerry Collins is also injured so the Titans are down to rookie Rusty Smith who will be making his first NFL start. The Titans are also dealing with the news that offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger will have to begin chemotherapy treatments soon. The Titans could still have some offensive success on Sunday against a rotten Houston defense. The Texans are last in the NFL in passing defense. They have given up 25 passing touchdowns this season.
Tough Houston Losses
The Texans have really taken a kick in the gut the past two weeks losing on a Hail Mary pass to Jacksonville two weeks ago and then losing last week to the Jets in the final seconds. The Texans have a potent offense led by Arian Foster who leads the NFL with 100.4 rushing yards per game.
Last Season
The Titans and Texans played great games last year with each decided by three points so this should be a fun game to make an NFL bet on. The Titans won at Houston 20-17 to increase their lead in the all-time series to 12-4. Houston quarterback Matt Schaub went 50 of 78 for 662 yards and six touchdowns last season against Tennessee. Houston has struggled at home recently as they are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games. In this series, the Titans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Houston. Six of the last eight meetings have gone over in NFL betting.