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The Texans travel to MetLife to take on the Jets to kick off the first Saturday NFL game of the season.
The Texans 9 game win streak came to an end with a 24-21 loss to Indy on Sunday. In week 12, they beat the Titans 34-17, and beat the Browns 29-13 in week 13.
The Jets ended a 6 game losing skid with a 27-23 win in Buffalo. In week 12, they lost 27-13 to the Patriots, and lost 26-22 to the Titans in week 13.
The BetOnline look-ahead line has the Texans as 7 point favourites on the road, and an O/U has not been set.
Houston Texans
The Texans offense goes as Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins go. On the year, Watson has thrown for 3298 yards, 22 TDs and 9 INTs while completing 66.9% of his passes while averaging 8.2 YPA. DeAndre Hopkins leads the team in every statistical receiving category, catching 84 balls for 1151 yards and 9 TDs. Tight end Jordan Thomas has emerged as a redzone threat, catching 18 balls for 207 yards and 4 TDs. Lamar Miller leads the team in rushing with 190 carries for 909 yards and 4 TDs.
The Texans defense ranks 4th in points allowed, giving up just 19.9 PPG. Against the pass, they rank below average with 260.6 yards per game and 22 passing TDs allowed, and rank in the top 10 in sacks with 36. Their run defense ranks in the top 5, allowing just 88.2 yards per game and 7 TDs on the ground.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
WR DeAndre Carter (concussion) – questionable, WR Keke Coutee (hamstring) – questionable
New York Jets
The quarterback position has been a bit inconsistent this season, but Sam Darnold shows his playmaking potential when healthy. He has thrown for 2104 yards, 12 TDs, and 15 INTs while completing 55.9% of his passes and averaging 6.7 YPA. Quincy Enunwa is their do it all receiver, catching 38 balls for 449 yards and a TD, while Robby Anderson is their deep threat, catching 31 balls for 492 yards and 4 TDs. Isaiah Crowell is their leading rusher, carrying 143 times for 685 yards and 6 TDs.
The Jets scoring defense ranks below average, allowing 25.4 PPG. The Jets pass defense is average, allowing 243.8 yards per game and 21 TDs through the air, while their pass rush ranks near the bottom of the league with 28 sacks. Their run defense ranks near the bottom of the league as well with 132 yards per game and 13 TDs allowed on the year.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
RB Isaiah Crowell (foot) – questionable, WR Quincy Enunwa (ankle) – questionable
Predictions
These two teams ended their respective streaks last week, but should go back to their common ways. The Texans offense is reliant on Deshaun Watson creating on his own behind a suspect offensive line, but the Jets lack the pass rush to give Watson fits. Their coverage on the back end is not bad, but when given time, Watson will find open receivers or DeAndre Hopkins will get separation.
Sam Darnold showed off his playmaking ability last week, but will face a bevy of pressure against the likes of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Up front, the Texans are tough against the run, which makes the Jets a bit one dimensional. The Jets also lack the receiving talents to separate against the Texans solid secondary. 7 points on the road is quite a bit, but there is no reason the Texans should struggle against a lesser Jets team.
Final Pick: Texans (-7)
