Will Lamar Jackson Lead The Ravens Into The AFC Championship?
We're Feeling Good About Our Texans vs Ravens Free Picks
The AFC Divisional Playoffs will begin on Saturday afternoon in a matchup between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens haven’t had to win any games in the playoffs just yet. They advanced as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. However, the Texans played in the Wild Card Weekend stage and dominated the Cleveland Browns, 45-14.
The Texans produced terrific offense, adding over 350 yards against a Browns team that typically doesn’t even allow 200 yards per game.
But the most important takeaway from the Texans was how they stopped the Browns on all four fourth down plays. The defense picked up two turnovers and scored two defensive touchdowns because of it.
But how likely is all of this against the Baltimore Ravens?
The Ravens are currently -9.5 (-105), with the total at 44.5. However, the 44.5 number is juiced to -115 on the Under.
Below, we’ll provide our Texans vs Ravens free picks for this ARC Divisional Playoffs matchup.
Texans vs Ravens 
Day/Time:
Location: M&T Stadium
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Texans vs Ravens Trends
The Houston Texans have covered against the spread in four of their last five games. They’ve also hit the Under in three of five matchups in those five games. That checks out to their actual numbers, with the Texans going 10-8 against the spread this NFL season with 11 Unders in 18 games.
On the other hand, the Ravens won three consecutive games against the spread before losing to Pittsburgh in Week 18. However, that Week 18 game had many Ravens players sitting out as they prepared for this playoff game. So, that technically doesn’t really count.
Baltimore played the Texans on September 10 and earned a 25-9 victory as 9.5-point favorites. They’re the same favorites heading into this playoff game. Nothing has changed.
Texas’ Team
The Dallas Cowboys are known as America’s team. Out of Dallas, Texas, the Cowboys get a lot of bandwagoners.
While the Cowboys had a great season, Dallas fell short in the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Packers. Therefore, the only remaining team from Texas in the playoffs is the Houston Texans.
After the Cowboys lost, the Texans went to social media and trolled Cowboys fans, saying, “Texas’ team.”
The Texans already won the AFC South and added a shocking win against the Cleveland Browns last weekend. While they’re at the top, they’re going to flaunt it. It’s all in good fun!
Baltimore’s Strength Program
As spectators, we often see players on the field but rarely see them off it.
Many Ravens players have praised Scott Elliott for his work as the strength and conditioning coach.
These players have acknowledged that he’s helped customize workout plans and create a more welcoming environment for the athletes.
This added strength has allowed the Ravens to dominate in the trenches. They had moments where they’ve been able to just run through defenses.
Much of the credit should go to Elliott, who has his players more buff than other NFL teams. At least, that’s what cornerback Arthur Maulet believes.
Can Stroud Stay Composed?
The Texans have a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback. Yet, they’re one of the best eight teams in the NFL.
The Texans play confident and intelligent. C.J. Stroud only had five interceptions on 499 passes in the regular season and followed that up with three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Browns last week.
He’s been tremendous.
However, so many quarterbacks with big seasons have struggled against the Ravens. Baltimore has earned 60 sacks and 18 interceptions. They’ve also earned more than 15 forced fumbles.
Can a rookie quarterback escape the Ravens? Probably not.
The Ravens forced two interceptions against Tua Tagovailoa and added four interceptions against Brock Purdy about a month ago.
Stroud won’t stay clean in this game. With pressure, he might even make a mistake or two. That’s ultimately what the Ravens do on the defensive end.
Baltimore has allowed just 16.47 points per game and doesn’t even give up 200 yards in the air per game. The Ravens aren’t elite against the run defensively. However, the Texans earned just 3.5 yards per rush on 22 attempts against the Browns last week.
The run game isn’t going to dominate the Ravens. It’ll be on Stroud’s shoulders. He’s been really good, but the expectation is that he makes a few errors against this elite Ravens defense.
On the other hand, the Texans have a lot going for them defensively, too. The secondary is underrated, and the pass rush has made significant strides over the last few months. The Texans have even limited teams to under 95 yards rushing per game this season.
However, Baltimore, again, is stronger in the trenches. They’ll create holes and keep Lamar Jackson safe. When Jackson feels pressure, he’ll scramble and make a run for it, while Stroud isn’t much of a runner.
The Texans had a great run this season. The future is bright. But it’s Baltimore’s year this season.
We’d love to see AFC playoff scenarios that include the Ravens. While C.J. Stroud is on his way to a Rookie of the Year Award, Lamar Jackson will be one of the NFL leaders in the MVP race and will probably win it.
Therefore, let’s move the Ravens to the next round in the NFL bracket.
Our Texans vs Ravens free picks include the Ravens at -9.5 (-105).
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