The New England Patriots will kick off the 2018 NFL season with a home game against the Houston Texans. The game will be played on Sunday, September 9 at Gillette Stadium, and it is scheduled to begin at 1 PM. ET.
Patriots vs Texans Odds
Point Spread and Over/Under
- Houston Texans +6.5
- New England Patriots -6.5
- Over/Under 51
Houston Texans Analysis…
The Texans finished the 2017 season with a 4-12 record, but there is plenty of optimism in Houston this year because the team has a lot of talent and could probably make a Super Bowl run if they can stay healthy.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson had his rookie season cut short because of a knee injury, but looked impressive when he was healthy. Watson made his second career start against the Patriots last season and almost led the team to a win over the Patriots, but Tom Brady led the Patriots to a last second win.
Watson finished the game with 301 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also added 41 yards on the ground.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt also missed most of last season with an injury. If he can stay healthy this season, the Texans will have one of the best defenses in the league with Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, Watt and Tyran Mathieu leading the way.
Offensively, Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will give defenses a lot of problems this season. If Lamar Miller plays well, their offense will be a problem for the Patriots to handle on Sunday.
New England Patriots Analysis…
The Patriots might be the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season, but the schedule makers didn’t do them any favors scheduling them against the Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars to start the season.
New England will be short-handed in their season opener with receiver Julian Edelman serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
In fact, quarterback Tom Brady will face a tough challenge this season because of the Patriots’ depleted receiving corps. The team traded their leading receiver Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams after a productive first season with the Patriots, and Danny Amendola skipped town to join the Miami Dolphins. Eric Decker, who joined the team during the offseason decided to retire last week, leaving the Patriots with Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan as their top receivers.
Rob Gronkowski will once again be Brady’s safety net, but with no real threats at the receiver position, opponents like the Texans will double up Gronkowski and force Brady to beat them with his inexperienced receivers.
Final word…
The Patriots are favored to win this game by 6.5 points. The over/under on total points scored is 51.
As the defending AFC champions, it is understandable that the Patriots are favored to win this game. But, the reality is with the exception of Brady and Gronkowski, the Texans have more talent on their team, which means Houston +6.5 is the smart bet here.
Play: Texans +6.5
Tagged With : Houston Texans • New England Patriots • NFL Betting • Week 1