Two teams that will likely be fighting each other for playing positioning in the AFC come December square off when the Texans host the Chiefs on CBS Sunday. Houston won nine games last season in coach Bill O’Brien’s debut and narrowly missed the postseason cutoff.
The Texans are poised to make a run in 2015, but is quarterback Brian Hoyer the upgrade this team needed?
ODDS
The Texans opened as a 1-point favorite at home against KC in the season opener, but they are just 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games NRG Stadium. Early money pushed the line to -1.5. The Chiefs may have an edge with the road team going 5-1 ATS in the last six head-to-head meetings. The total opened at 42 and has since dipped to 40. Despite the movement, the under still has value.
KEY INJURIES
Dontari Poe – The Chiefs Pro Bowl defensive tackle missed all of training camp following offseason back surgery and will not be ready for the opener. Jaye Howard is expected to start in his place.
Duane Brown – Is questionable for Week 1 due to a thumb injury sustained during camp. Brown missed the final two preseason games and had a cast on his right hand. If Brown is unable to play Jeff Adams would take his spot on the offensive line.
KEY MISMATCH
Texans D Line against Chiefs O Line
Houston added five-time pro-bowler Vince Wilfork during the offseason to upgrade the defense, which already boasts Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Jadeveon Clowney, the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, is also expected to be ready for the opener, giving the Texans a formidable front line. The Chiefs spent a majority of the preseason mixing and matching their offensive line partly due to injuries. The Texans will have an advantage up front and limiting the rush yards of Jamaal Charles will be imperative to take the Chiefs out of their game. Kansas City got receiver Jeremy Maclin to diversify the offense and he will be a target, but the Chiefs are a running football team and if the Texans take that away, their chances of winning increase.
KEY STAT
+47 – The Chiefs were the only undefeated team during the preseason and finished with a plus-47 point differential, the best in the AFC and second only to Philadelphia. They also converted 54.2 percent of third down attempts during the four games. Kansas City didn’t face the likes of J.J. Watt that often during their exhibition games, and the numbers don’t mean much, but it’s a positive sign heading into the regular season.
BETTING ANGLE
For the first time since the team’s Super Bowl season of 1969, the Chiefs finished the preseason with an unbeaten record. The performance, however, didn’t elicit any celebratory response from Andy Reid and his players. The coach has been around long enough and has had success to know that the outcome of preseason games is meaningless. Building his roster for a competitive regular season and successful playoff run is what’s important. And it’s hard to argue with a coach who has 150 wins and just three losing seasons in 16 years. “You play to win, if it’s ping-pong or a hot dog eating contest, you play to win,” Reid said. “This is how you go about this business. It is preseason and we understand that. We are going to get ourselves ready.”
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Chiefs are a nice sleeper pick in the AFC because of their defense. A group of linebackers led by Justin Houston can wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks and I just don’t think Houston’s Brian Hoyer is the guy. He had moments last year in Cleveland before really struggling down the stretch, eventually losing the starting gig to Johnny Manziel. He won the battle during the preseason but didn’t play a lot during games and never saw a defense like KC’s. I can’t see a lot of points scored by the offenses, but watch for opportunistic defenders to create scoring chances. Behind Alex Smith, the Chiefs will convert on their chances.
Kansas City 23, Houston 16
The NFL odds for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Texans were positioned as 1-point favorites with a total of 42. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans will go down Sunday, September 13, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
