Texans -3 (-110)
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- No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud and last year’s starting quarterback Davis Mills are expected to receive substantial playing time for the Houston Texans, and both players will be highly motivated to perform well against the Patriots.
- Home field advantage simply seems to disappear in the NFL preseason. Over the last five seasons, 75% of NFL teams are .500 or worse against the spread in preseason home games.
- The Houston Texans have won five of their last six preseason games, defeating opponents by an average margin of 10.0 points in their five victories.
The Houston Texans will visit the New England Patriots on Thursday evening in Foxborough. This Texans vs Patriots showdown will kick off our first full week of NFL preseason action. Rookie quarterback and No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud is set to start for the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones is expected to sit, and New England has not yet announced the starter for their preseason opener.
Now, let’s take a closer look at this exciting matchup and make our best NFL betting picks for this Thursday night clash.
Texans vs Patriots Betting Pick
Texans vs Patriots: Texans -3 (-110)
Why Bet on the Texans To Cover:
✅ No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud will start for the Texans on Thursday night, with Davis Mills set to back him up. Meanwhile, Mac Jones is not expected to play. Instead, we will likely see a mix of Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorely, and Malik Cunningham for the Patriots. Advantage Texans.
✅ Home field hasn’t been much of an advantage in the preseason here recently. Over the past five years, 75% of NFL teams are .500 or worse against the spread at home during the preseason.
✅ The Texans have won five of their last six preseason games, including a perfect 3-0 record against the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers in 2022.
This game will be played at Gillette Stadium at 7:00 PM ET on August 10, 2023.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are entering their second season without 3x Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2022. The Texans finished the 2022-2023 NFL season in last place in the AFC South with a 3-13-1 record. After firing Lovie Smith in January, Demeco Ryans will become Houston’s third head coach in as many years, and he will hope to lead the team to their first winning season since 2019.
C.J. Stroud, the former Ohio State standout and No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been named the Houston Texans’ starting quarterback after an impressive showing during training camp. Stroud will look to help the Texans show significant improvement on the offensive side of the ball after the team finished the previous season in the bottom five of the league in terms of yards per game, points per game, and yards per play.
New England Patriots
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are set to enter year 4 of the post-Tom Brady era. They finished the 2022-2023 season with an 8-9 overall record, which was just the team’s second losing season since 2001. Head Coach Bill Belichick will look to help get the Patriots back on track while competing in what is arguably the NFL’s toughest division in the upcoming season.
During the offseason, the New England Patriots made several notable moves, adding several offensive weapons including former Dolphins’ tight end Mike Gesicki and former Chiefs’ wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. New England also hired former Houston Texans’ Head Coach Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator. O’Brien should prove valuable in helping a Patriots offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in nearly all major statistical categories.
