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A pair of teams hoping to make a playoff push this season have been ravaged by injuries. They will face off in Week 11 when the Arizona Cardinals hit the road for a matchup against the Houston Texans. Houston is on its backup quarterback since Deshaun Watson is out for the season with a torn ACL, and is also missing superstar defensive end J.J. Watt.
The Cardinals’ best-case scenario will have their backup quarterback, Drew Stanton, in the game, although that’s in doubt because he suffered a sprained knee last week in a loss to the Seahawks. This one will likely come down to which defense dominates the most in a low-scoring affair.
Watch this regular season Week 11 matchup live on Sunday, November 19, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium.
Odds Analysis
There is no spread on this game yet with Stanton’s availability unclear. While he isn’t as good as starting quarterback Carson Palmer, Stanton has done a nice job for the Cardinals while starting the past two games. If he can’t play and the Cardinals turn the reins over to third-stringer Blaine Gabbert, that will likely inch the spread more in favor of the Texans, but not as much as if a starter got hurt and a backup took his place.
While no scoring total has been announced, expect it to be low. Both teams could struggle to score behind second- or third-string signal-callers.
Injury Report
Tyvon Branch -- The Cardinals’ veteran safety was having an excellent season but he tore his ACL last time out against the Seahawks. The team will slide second-round pick Budda Baker in for him. Baker is athletic but still inexperienced, and the Texans will try to take advantage.
D.J. Humphries -- The Cardinals’ left tackle dislocated his kneecap against Seattle and will also be out for the rest of the year. He was the team’s best offensive lineman, and it is a big loss moving forward. The Cardinals moved right tackle Jared Veldheer to the left side, and he may have to go against Texans star Jadeveon Clowney in a pivotal matchup.
Will Fuller -- The Texans’ speedy wide receiver hurt his ribs on Sunday in a loss to the Rams, and reportedly was getting X-rays on them after the game. Houston doesn’t have a great passing attack without Watson but Fuller’s ability to get behind a defense is crucial. It will be a big loss if he cannot play.
Matchup To Watch
DeAndre Hopkins vs. Patrick Peterson -- The Texans have not been able to score effectively since Watson went down, as Tom Savage is not a starting caliber NFL quarterback. Their best plan of attack has been force-feeding the ball to Hopkins, who is one of the most talented wide receivers in football.
It will be hard to get it to him in this game because he figures to get shadowed by Peterson, who is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. If Peterson does his job and Savage has to throw the ball elsewhere, it is hard to imagine Houston moves the ball very effectively.
Keep an eye on this matchup as the winner of it will give his team a leg up in what is expected to be a close showdown.
Free ATS Pick
Gabbert might be a third-stringer but he does have a lot of starting experience in the NFL. If he has to take over, the quarterback position is still probably an advantage for the Cardinals because Savage has been poor.
The Texans have the home field advantage, but the choice is the Cardinals to come away with the win as their offense should be a tick better while the defenses are close in talent level. Arizona can feed running back Adrian Peterson regularly to help wear down Houston.
NFL Odds: Cardinals 17, Texans 16
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