Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Football Picks 

The Houston Texans are off of a bye and things are looking much different than they did two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, the Texans were led by the very capable Matt Schaub at quarterback. They were rolling along. Then, Schaub got hurt. The Texans have been forced to re-evaluate some things, going with Matt Leinart at QB. They take to the road this week to face off against Jacksonville, a team they beat handily at home one month ago. So can the Texans get things together and keep winning despite the loss of their QB? That is the big question to consider as you make NFL picks this week. 

 

When most people think of the Texans, they think of putting up points through the air. After all, that had been the team’s MO over the last few years. This team is different, though. It has been led not by Matt Schaub, but by a dynamic running game and a great defense. Even Andre Johnson has been out for a few weeks, so the Texans have been limited in the passing game. Losing Schaub will hurt and it will have an impact, but perhaps the impact will be mitigated by the Texans new style of play. Chances are they will still run the ball well with Ben Tate and Arian Foster. There is a good chance that the defense will continue to limit teams. 

 

In this game, the Texans are short road favorites. The line is 3.5 at most shops, so can they cover this? It all depends upon how you view Leinart. If you believe that the former Heisman trophy winner can be servicable, then you have to like Houston’s chances here. They shut down the Jaguars 100% in the last game, putting big licks on rookie QB Blaine Gabbert. This looks like another game where the teams might struggle to score, but the Texans still have weapons. Chances are that they will play well enough to get a win on the road here. The question is whether they win by enough to cover the 3.5, as a field goal outcome is something that looks probable at this point.