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The Texans are hosting a playoff game as AFC South champions for a second consecutive season, and on Saturday Brock Osweiler will attempt to lead them to victory over the visiting Raiders. While QB controversy is normally the Texans’ hang-up, the Raiders have their own passing problems heading into the postseason.
The Raiders are in the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl run in 2002, but the team fell victim to devastating luck in the final weeks of the season. Franchise QB Derek Carr suffered a broken leg in Week 16, and backup Matt McGloin injured his shoulder in the regular season finale.
The Raiders now turn to Connor Cook, who will become the first QB in NFL history to make his first NFL start in a postseason game. The Texans are favored by 3.5 points heading into Saturday’s matchup.
Here’s a complete look at all the odds for the game:
Raiders vs. Texans Betting Info
Note: All odds and numbers courtesy of Oddsshark.com and are as of Friday, January 6
Line: Texans (-3.5)
Percentage of Bets: 57 percent on HOU (-3.5)
Over/Under: 37
Percentage of Bets: 59 percent on the under
Raiders vs. Texans Preview & Prediction
When the quarterback matchup is this bad, we have to strip it away. We look at the total sum of the teams, then add the quarterbacks on top.
On defense, the Texans have a slight edge. Jadeveon Clowney should have a strong game, and disrupt things for Connor Cook on passing downs. The defensive backfields are comparable, but Raiders LB Khalil Mack can be a gamebreaker. Mack had a sack in the team’s first meeting in Mexico City.
On the other side of the ball, both teams will lean heavily on the running game. Lamar Miller, who sat out the final two games of the season to stay healthy, needs to have a big game for Houston. The Raiders have three running backs that touched the ball more than 80 times this season, but they all struggled in the previous game against Houston.
In that game in Mexico City, the Texans looked in control until the final quarter. Derek Carr engineered two late drives for touchdowns, bringing the Raiders ahead for a 27-20 win. The Texans were hurt by a few bad officiating spots in that final quarter, and it gave the Raiders extra time for a game-winning drive.
With Derek Carr, this game came down to some last-minute heroics. Without Carr, the Texans defense should be able to force Connor Cook into some mistakes.
Prediction: Raiders 13, Texans 20
Find out how to watch this game in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com:
