The Tennessee Titans are traveling to Houston looking to upend the Texans’ playoff hopes on Sunday, Dec. 31. The Texans are currently the first team out of the AFC playoff picture and need a win to keep pace for the last Wild Card spot. Fortunately for their hopes, their rookie phenom QB CJ Stroud will be back on the field this Sunday. The Titans will also be getting their QB1 Will Levis back from an ankle injury. The point spread for the game is among the closest of the weekend, so this AFC South battle should be a good one.
Before kickoff of this playoff impacting matchup, we’re taking a look at the Titans vs. Texans odds and preview and the best sportsbook bonuses on the market that you can claim for Week 17 NFL action.
Betting Odds for Titans vs. Texans
The Texans’ offense struggled significantly with Stroud out of the lineup the last two weeks. Now that he is back, they’ll need him to pick up where he left off to right the ship, as a loss would almost conclude their playoff aspirations. With the exception of Stroud’s fellow rookie and favorite target Tank Dell, the Texans’ offense is as healthy as it has been all season, which will go a long way in helping them to win this one.
Texans Defensive Health
At this point of the season, there aren’t many healthy teams, but the Texans have suffered a barrage of key injuries the last three weeks. Offensively, they’ll be as close to healthy as they have been all season long. Given how they have performed the last two weeks on that side of the ball, the timing couldn’t be any better. However, their defense is now in the most jeopardy.
They have been lit up in two of their last three games, including a record-setting receiving performance allowed to the Browns and company last weekend. The Texans were without their two best pass rushers in rookie Will Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Grenard. Without having to worry about pressure, Joe Flacco and the Browns had a field day, which led to a franchise record 265 receiving yards from Amari Cooper. Anderson Jr. and Grenard still have not practiced this week and are questionable yet again for this pivotal matchup.
The Titans aren’t producing nearly as much as the Browns right now, but without having to worry about a pass rush, Levis has shown flashes of a franchise QB, which, as the Dolphins learned, could stun a team.
Titans Must Find Their Run Game
Despite their shortcomings, Tennessee’s defense has done enough to give them a chance to win every week as of late, keeping them within one score of victory in each of their last five games (2-3). It’s the offense that has come up short most of the time. That’s in large part due to not being able to get Derrick Henry going. Against the Texans two weeks ago, Henry finished with nine yards on 16 carries.
He is the spark plug for their offense, and he hasn’t had much of an impact at all this season. The Texans own one of the best rushing defenses in the league but may be without their two best defensive linemen. To have any shot at playing spoiler for their division rival, they’ll need to find a way to get him past the first level of the defense. With the Texans’ secondary coming off an abysmal performance, attacking them to lessen the burden in the box for Henry is going to be critical.
Prediction: Texans win, but Titans cover
The Texans offense should make a decent showing in the contest with Stroud back with most of his weapons. However, due to injury, their defense is as vulnerable as ever. Look for this one to be a shootout that Houston pulls out by a field goal or less.
