Texans vs Patriots: Preview, score prediction for Week 3
By Nick Sparrow
Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots face the Houston Texans in a rematch of last year’s AFC Division playoff game in Week 3. Both teams are 1-1 coming off of Week 2 wins. The Patriots had a dominant performance on the road in Week 2, defeating the New Orleans Saints 36-20. Tom Brady threw for 447 yards and three touchdowns against Saints on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Texans bounced back from a bad home loss in Week 1 to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 13-9 on Thursday Night Football last week. In the victory, rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson’s first start, he threw for 125 yards and rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Keys to Victory
The biggest key to victory for the Texans is also the most obvious: score. Houston currently ranks 28th in the league in points scored through the first two weeks of the season. The Texans have scored one point more than the Miami Dolphins and nine points less than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have each only played one game. Facing off against a Patriots offense that ranks fifth in the league, they will need to score much more than they have to even stand a chance in this game.
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The Texans defense will need to step up in this game as well. The Patriots currently rank first in offensive yards gained per game. Houston was in a close game with the Patriots for the first half of last year’s playoff game, only down 17-13 at the half thanks to their defense. However, they were outscored 17-3 in the second half of the game. Houston needs to show that they can play the Patriots close for an entire game.
On the other sideline, the Patriots defense needs to prove the ability to stop an offense. New England’s defense currently ranks 31st in yards allowed per play, but has also played two good offenses in the Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Houston’s offense is by far the worst offense New England has faced this season and therefore this is where the Patriots need to prove they aren’t one of the league’s worst units. If New England cannot stop a rookie quarterback on the road, they cannot stop anyone.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: New England -13.5
Moneyline: New England -900, Houston +600
Over/Under: 44
All betting odds provided by BookMaker via The Sportsbook Review
Next: NFL 2017: Picks against the spread for Week 3
Score Prediction
Watson may be an upgrade over Tom Savage, but he is still only starting his second game of his career against one of the greatest quarterbacks to have ever played. Houston’s defense looked good against the Patriots in the 2016 playoffs, but the defense has disappointed through the first two games of the season. The defense might be more likely to step up to the challenge of the Patriots offense, but I can’t see the Patriots losing their first two home games of the season.
Final Score: New England Patriots: 34, Houston Texans: 20