Texans Look to Clinch AFC South Against Buccaneers
The Houston Texans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will battle on Saturday when they meet at Raymond James Stadium. The Texans can clinch the AFC South division with a win. A victory would ensure Houston as division champs for the fourth time in five season. A 24-21 win at division-rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday put the Texans in the driver’s seat. That win clinched the team’s seventh winning season in the past nine. Houston has won the last three meetings by a combined margin of 84-32.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: Texans -3 O/U: 50.5
“I don’t think we should even think one second about anything other than Tampa Bay, and that should be the whole goal,” Houston head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters Sunday. The Texans host the second-place Titans in Week 17. They’d like to take care of business before that matchup. Beating a rival twice in a season is very hard to do.
The Buccaneers are not going quietly into the offseason. Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak is its longest since a five-game run in 2016. The team has a chance for its second winning season in the last nine years. They have the league’s third-ranked offense at 400.1 yards per game. The Bucs are 1st through the air at 308.8 ypg. Jameis Winston continue his hot streak with 458 passing yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 38-17 win at Detroit.
This, That, and a Dart Throw
Houston is 9-5 on the season and usually play to the level of their competition. Quarterback Deshaun Watson was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year. He nears another 4,000-yard campaign. Wideout DeAndre Hopkins was also named to the Pro Bowl this week. He needs one catch to record his third career 100-reception season. Hopkins also needs 17 catches over the final two games to establish a career high. Defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who has a injured pectoral, has been out since Week 9. The team is hopeful he can make a return in the postseason.
Tampa Bay is 7-7 on the season and the team goes as Famous Jameis goes. Winston on Sunday became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 450 yards in consecutive games. He leads the league with 4,573 yards on the season as he makes a bid to stay in Tampa Bay long-term. “I hope I helped myself because I definitely want to be here in Tampa,” he told reporters Sunday when asked about his impending free agency.
The 25-year-old Jekyll and Hyde talent has a shot at becoming the 12th player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season. Winston’s 24 interceptions are six more than any other NFL quarterback. He will go the rest of the year without Mike Evans who is on injured reserve. Wideout Chris Godwin is also nursing an ailing hamstring.
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The Dart Throw: Texans 31, Buccaneers 24
Texans vs Buccaneers Trends
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Trend Over is 6-1 in Buccaneers last 7 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater. Hit % 85.70% (7) O/U 6|1 Push 0 W/L
- Under is 9-3 in Buccaneers last 12 games as a home underdog of 3.5-10.0. 75.00% (12) 3|9 0
- Over is 5-2 in Buccaneers last 7 games as a home underdog. 71.40% (7) 5|2 0
- Over is 4-1 in Buccaneers last 5 games as a favorite. 80.00% (5) 4|1 0
Houston Texans
- Trend Over is 4-1 in Texans last 5 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater. Hit % 80.00% (5) O/U 6|1 Push 0 W/L
- Under is 5-2 in Texans last 7 games as a road underdog of 0.5-3.0. 71.40% (7) 2|5 0
- Under is 9-3 in Texans last 12 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0. 75.00% (12) 3|9 0
- Over is 8-2 in Texans last 10 games as a road favorite. 80.00% (10) 8|2 0
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Next up:
Houston home to Tennessee Sunday, December 29
Tampa Bay home to Atlanta Sunday, December 29
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