TNF: New York Jets vs Houston Texans prediction and betting tip

Thursday Night Football, Week 9. Tonight the New York Jets host Houston Texas. The Jets are 2.5 point home favorites in this game according to our friends at Fanduel Sportsbook.

The 6-2 Houston Texans are coming off a 23 – 20 victory over Indianapolis Colts. The Texans have won four of their last five games, their only loss in that stretch being a two-point loss Green Bay Packers. The Texans are a good, well-balanced team. They rank 2nd in the NFL in yards allowed and 9th in receiving yards. These kinds of numbers are serious Super Bowl candidates tend to post. If there is a vulnerability for this team, it lies in their pass defense. While excellent overall, the Texans have been vulnerable to letting receivers get behind the defense. The result has been a defense that has allowed 16 passes, good for 28th in the NFL. If the Jets are going to win this game, they will likely need to be successful on some deep balls. The Jets will also need to limit turnovers against a defense that has forced nine in the last three games.

The 2-6 New York Jets enter this game on a five-game losing streak. Only that one New Orleans Saints is currently on a long losing streak. The hapless Jets have only one thing at stake this year. Despite all of the team’s struggles, the Jets have still fielded a pretty good pass defense. They currently rank 2nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed, 6th in sacks and 11th in passer rating allowed. Last year the Jets dominated CJ Stroud and the Texans en route to a 30 – 6 victory. Stroud had the worst game of his professional career in that game. Like tonight’s game, the Texans were missing most of their top receivers in that game. Tonight, Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins are out, leaving only Tank Dell as a proven receiver to carry the load. If the Jets are going to have any chance of victory tonight, the blueprint was set in last year’s win over this team. Shut down a limping Texans passing attack and make them a one-dimensional team. Will it work? Probably not, but there is at least reason to hope.

Despite the betting line, this game looks like a mismatch in favor of the Texans on paper. The crazy Texans passing attack might give the Jets an opening to win here, but based on everything we’ve seen from the Jets this season, I’m taking the Texans to get the road “crazy” win. If you are betting, good luck to you and please consider using our friends Fanduel Sportsbook.