Team rosters during training camp and the preseason are large, but after a flurry of minor injuries ravaged the San Francisco 49ers, they could be a little thin for their Week 2 preseason matchup with the Houston Texans. Six players left last week’s game against Dallas and didn’t return and several others were hurt in practice earlier this week. The good news for the Niners is that none of the injuries are considered serious and everyone should be available for the regular season. In the meantime it’s a great opportunity for others to step up and impress the coaching staff.
This duel in Week 2 of the preseason will go down Saturday, August 18, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
San Francisco 49ers +2.5
Houston Texans -2.5
Over/Under 41
Odds Analysis
Houston covered on the road in last week’s opener with a number of starters not even seeing the field. The reserves were solid and we see a team that, for now, has depth. The Texans opened as just a 2.5-point favorite, and while we typically don’t see a lot of movement on the line in preseason games, this one could go up.
Quarterback Rotation
After leading the Niners to a comeback win over Dallas last week, Nick Mullens is in line for a bigger role against the Texans. Mullens entered the game late in the third quarter with the Niners trailing 21-10 and delivered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives, throwing a scoring pass on the final possession for the game-deciding points. He completed 11 of 13 attempts for 141 yards and created a battle for the No. 2 job with C.J. Beathard.
Jimmy Garoppolo played one series last week hitting on 3 of 6 attempts for 34 yards and converted a pair of third downs. The possession ended up in a punt, however. Jimmy G will likely play more than the one series he had last week.
The strategy with Deshaun Watson is simple, and according to Bill O’Brien the club achieved its goal last week. Watson played just five snaps, but preparing for his first game in nearly a year was more important than putting up numbers. Now that the first outing on a reconstructed knee is out of the way, we could see Watson for more than a series against the Niners.
Watson handed the ball off to Lamar Miller four times and tossed one pass – a four-yard completion – before calling it a night. Brandon Weeden took over and tossed a scoring pass on consecutive drives. He finished 9 of 11 for 97 yards. Joe Webb finished off the game leaving fourth-stringer Stephen Morris glued to the bench. There’s a good chance Morris plays on Saturday, though O’Brien has yet to reveal his rotation.
Players to Watch
The Niners were hit particularly hard in the backfield last week with Matt Breida and Jerrick McKinnon leaving the Dallas game with injuries. Both players will take the remainder of the preseason off leaving Kyle Shanahan to reach down for his No. 3 back on the depth chart. In order to bolster depth at the position, the Niners signed Alfred Morris.
Morris had two of his best seasons when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Washington, rushing for 1,613 yards in 2012 and nearly 1,300 yards in 2013. Morris joins a group that includes Joe Williams, Raheem Mostert, Jeremy McNichols and Jeff Wilson.
Free ATS Pick
The Texans got a win last week with a number of starters sitting out. Most of those players, including several on the defensive side of the football, are expected to play. We won’t see a lot of the starters as is typical for a second preseason game, but Houston will get its regulars some snaps, and that’s a problem for the visitors.
The Niners got dinged up pretty good last week, especially on the offensive side. With their top two backs out of the rotation they could have problems moving the football, no matter how long Garoppolo plays. With the Niners more concerned about staying healthy, I like the Texans to get a cover win with points hard to come by.
NFL Odds: Texans 20, 49ers 10
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