Eagles vs. Texans Odds, Picks, and Prediction

by Nick Galaida (nickgalaida) Last Updated 2022-11-03 21:12:58

Eagles vs. Texans Odds

This evening, Week 9 of the NFL regular season will begin with a matchup between the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football. Entering play, Philadelphia is the only remaining NFL team without a loss. Houston has only one victory, and owns the second-worst point differential in the AFC. Consequently, oddsmakers are expecting a lopsided affair between these two teams, pricing Philadelphia as a 14-point road favorite on the spread.

Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.

Philadelphia Eagles

Through seven games, the Eagles appear to have one of the best offenses in the league, ranking 3rd in offensive EPA/play. Philadelphia has been strong both through the air and on the ground, leading the NFL with 8.5 yards per pass attempt and ranking 3rd in Rush EPA/play. Jalen Hurts has been sensational, with a 10-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio this fall, which is good enough for the 9th-best QBR of any qualified signal caller. Miles Sanders has been one of the league’s best running backs as well, averaging 4.9 yards-per-carry on the ground. Playing behind an elite offensive line, this group should have another efficient performance on Thursday Night Football.

Defensively, Philadelphia has been outstanding as well – ranking 3rd in defensive EPA/play. The Eagles have forced the 4th-lowest opponent completion percentage and the second-fewest opponent passing yards per attempt this year with some of the best secondary talent in football. If there is one weakness to this roster, it is the fact that this unit ranks 29th in opponent yards-per-carry through the first two months of the new campaign. Fortunately for the Eagles, the Texans rank only 25th in offensive Rush EPA/play in 2022, making it unlikely that this weakness will be exploited this evening.

Houston Texans

Davis Mills has led one of the worst offensive attacks in professional football this fall, ranking 21st in passing yards, 21st in passing touchdowns, 22nd in interceptions, and 32nd in QBR among qualified quarterbacks entering play in Week 9. He is supported by an offensive line with major concerns between the tackles, with left guard Kenyon Green and center Scott Quessenberry each representing major liabilities at their respective positions. This offense also lacks talent at the skill positions behind rookie running back standout Dameon Pierce, who is averaging a robust 4.5 yards-per-carry this fall. Facing one of the league’s premier defenses, it would be surprising to see the Texans have much success on this side of the ball tonight – especially on a short week.

On the defensive side of the ball, there is very little that Houston will be able to do to slow down Philadelphia. At the line of scrimmage, the Texans are severely overmatched across the board. Cornerback Steven Nelson is the only member of the Houston secondary that has performed better than league average this season. The linebacker trio of Christian Harris, Christian Kirksey, and Garret Wallow is, arguably, the worst combination of talent at that position in the entire NFL. Simply put, this is not a good position for the Texans’ defense, and there are few, if any, silver linings to report in this matchup.

Eagles vs. Texans – Picks & Predictions

Playing on a short week, it is likely that we see a low-scoring affair between the Eagles and Texans on Thursday Night Football. Philadelphia possesses one of the league’s best defenses, ranking 3rd in defensive EPA/play through seven contests. Houston has one of the worst offensive attacks in the NFL, ranking 30th in offensive EPA/play entering Week 9. Even if the Eagles win this game in a rout, it is doubtful that the Texans will be able to do enough on their end to push this total to the over. Bettors who are taking action in this spot should target the under.

PICK: Under 45.5 (-115, FanDuel)

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