Philadelphia (7-0) at Houston (1-5-1)
When: Thursday, November 3rd 2022
Where: NRG Stadium,
Houston, TX
Time: 8:15 ET | TV: Prime
Opening Odds: Philadelphia -9.5/43.5
Open an account at MyBookie to receive a $1,000 Deposit Bonus!
This week is all about the cities of Philadelphia and Houston in both the NFL and Major League Baseball. While the Phillies and Astros battle each other in the Fall Classic at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philly, the Eagles and Texans will kick off Week 9 of the NFL season down at NRG Stadium in Houston. On paper, this isn’t expected to be a close game, as the 14-point spread indicates. The Eagles are clearly the best team in the NFC – if not the league – while the Texans could very well finish with the worst record in the NFL. The Eagles reportedly were in on the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes with the Texans in the offseason, but I think things are working out quite well with Jalen Hurts leading the Philadelphia offense. The dual-threat quarterback ranks fifth in passer rating (105.1), seventh in completion percentage (67.0 percent) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (six). Hurts is definitely one of the favorites to win the MVP Award this season.
The Eagles came out of their bye with zero rust and completely dominated in-state rival Pittsburgh 35-13. Hurts threw three touchdown passes to AJ Brown in the first half alone and finished with 285 yards and four scoring strikes. Brown had six receptions for 156 yards, but the defense suffered a couple of key injuries. Rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 draft, left with a high ankle sprain and is not expected to play Thursday. Cornerback Josiah Scott also suffered an ankle injury in the victory and has also been ruled out. Philly still has plenty of depth on defense and second-year DL Marlon Tuipulotu has shown significant improvement from his rookie season.
The Houston offense is horrendous and managed only 161 total yards in the loss to the Titans last Sunday. Second-year quarterback Davis Mills clearly isn’t the long-term answer. He completed just 58% of his passes for 152 yards with one TD and a pick. On the season, Mills has eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Rookie running back Dameon Pierce has been a pleasant surprise, but was held to 35 yards on 15 carries Sunday. Wide receiver Nico Collins missed Sunday’s game with a groin injury and is questionable for Thursday. Defensive lineman Maliek Collins (chest) was among five Texans who did not participate in practice on Tuesday.
I want no part of this game and in-play wagering is probably the way to go. Or, just watch Game 5 of the World Series instead. I’m going to take the points. We’ve seen plenty of games where double-digit underdogs have won or covered. Laying this many points on the road is very risky.
Pick: Texans +14
