NFL Week 13: Denver Broncos vs Houston Texans
Denver Has Won Five Straight, 4 of 5 ATS; Houston 1-4 ATS Last 5
The Denver Broncos (6-5) are headed to Houston with the most confidence they’ve had all season to take on the Texans (6-5) in what could have massive playoff implications. The Broncos started the season 1-5, including an embarrassing 70-20 loss to Miami in week three.
Since an NFL Week 11 loss to Kansas City (19-8), Denver is a perfect 5-0 while covering four of those match-ups. Houston took longer but is starting to heat up with three wins in their last four games. Oddsmakers have made the Texans a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 47.5. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT and can be seen on CBS. We start our Broncos vs Texans betting odds preview with a closer look at Denver.
Denver Broncos vs Houston Texans 
Day/Time:
Location: NRG Stadium
Stream: CBS
The Total Gives The Most Attractive Betting Option
Many bettors had already written off Russell Wilson after the 2021 season which resulted in the Seattle Seahawks giving up on the 9-time pro bowler. Wilson signed with the Broncos but went on to lose 11 of 15 starts. In steps Sean Payton who seems to be exactly what Wilson needed to resurrect a Hall of Fame career. In 11 games this season, the former Super Bowl champion has a passer rating of 100 or better seven times.
<His completion percentage is 68.3%, better than his career average of 64.8%. More impressive is his 5 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio (20-4). It’s been five games since Wilson has thrown a pick. On the other side of the ball, Denver has stepped up on defense while the numbers may not reflect that overall, allowing the big plays is becoming a minimal occurrence.
No longer are teams able to run up the middle to set the tone for the rest of their offense. It seems like Wilson should have been among the last 10 NFL MVP’s because when the former Wisconsin Badger was at his best, he was as good as anyone in the league. We continue our Broncos vs Texans betting preview by turning our attention to Houston.
Houston’s OL Takes A Hit
The Houston Texans may have additional issues moving the ball when it was made public that Tytus Howard will be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Juice Scruggs will take the place of Howard, but we anticipate it being a major blow to the Texans’ offensive line.
Scruggs was good in relief, but you can’t take a lineman who has allowed just one sack this season along with just 18 pressures out of the lineup and expect it to be business as usual. Bettors have been uncomfortable betting the Texans in this spot because no matter how well Houston has played, they are still winless against the number as a favorite (0-4). You would have to go back two seasons before you could find a game where the Texans covered a game as a favorite. Since 2017, the Texans are 11-24-2 ATS as a favorite.
When the public is making NFL picks against the spread to start the week, most will ask if Houston is a favorite or dog this week. We conclude our Broncos vs Texans betting preview with our official selection.
The Total Gives The Most Attractive Betting Option
With both teams sitting at 6-5 in the current NFL standings, we expect both teams to be careful early on in what could be a key result when the playoff seedings are decided. The total opened at 45, but with that number growing to its current 47.5, there comes a time when the number is too large and we’re at that point.
We think the loss of Howard is going to be a massive issue for Houston while Denver is still just 23rd in the league with just over 300 total yards per game. Take the under but wait and see if this number will increase more than it already has.
For NFLscores, results, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
