This Sunday afternoon clash sees the New England Patriots travel to NRG Stadium to take on the Houston Texans. Both teams have had a forgettable start to the season. Will the Patriots power to 2-3, or can Houston halt Mac Jones and the New England offense? Let’s take a look at the current NFL odds, TV channel, how to live stream, as well as a Patriots vs. Texans prediction in Week 5.
New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans prediction and odds | Week 5
Odds from DraftKings sportsbook.
- Spread: Patriots -9.5
- Moneyline: Patriots -410, Texans +310
- Over/Under: 40.5 (Over -110, Under -110)
Are you hoping to make a little hard cash on Houston? Do you think you can make some notes on New England? If you’re looking to make a little money predicting the future, it’s worth considering the past before you lay down your hard-earned cash.
In the previous 13 matchups between the Patriots and the Texans, New England has covered the -9.5 spread on six occasions. In all encounters between the teams, the Patriots have a scoring advantage of 400-264. They beat the New York Jets by 19 points in their only win of the season to date, and are currently 2-2 against the spread in this 2021 NFL season.
In their three consecutive defeats, the Texans have suffered losing margins of 10, 15, and 40. Despite this, they are also 2-2 against the spread. However, I like the Patriots to cover.
Only two previous editions of the Patriots vs. Texans have finished with fewer than the 40.5 over/under for this game. Additionally, the Texans are 2-2 on the over this season. However, the Patriots are 0-4 against the over, and with two distinctly mediocre offenses, the shootouts of previous seasons seem less likely.
My final score prediction for Patriots vs. Texans favors the Patriots on the money line and the under for points scored on Sunday.
Patriots vs. Texans prediction
Let’s start this Patriots vs. Texans prediction with a little positivity for Houston fans — god knows they need it. Although the Patriots hold a 10-3 winning record in the head-to-head matchups, the Texans have had the upper hand in recent encounters. The last two games, both held in Houston, have resulted in a Texans win. They beat the Patriots 27-20 last season and 28-22 during the 2019 NFL season.
However, as the Patriots know full well, history is just that. Sitting at 1-3, having just lost to a Tampa Bay team led by the most important part of their franchise’s history, their previous successes seem like a distant memory.
Yet, one of the foundations of the Patriots’ dominance in past years remains — defense. Although their rushing defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Patriots have the fourth-best passing defense in the league. Furthermore, they’ve allowed the seventh-fewest points in the NFL through Week 4 of the NFL season.
While the passing offense figures itself out in a post-Tom Brady landscape, the Patriots should lean on defense and the ground game to get a comfortable win against a poor Texans team. Expect to see a heavy dose of J.J. Taylor, Damien Harris, and even Rhamondre Stevenson if he emerges from Bill Belichick’s dog house.
Houston has allowed the 28th-most rushing yards per game this season. Meanwhile, their offense ranks 29th in points and 30th in total yardage following a 40-0 shutout against another AFC East opponent (Buffalo Bills). The Texans will be pinning their hopes on Tyrod Taylor’s return from injury, who looked promising in their Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Prediction: New England Patriots 26, Houston Texans 10
How to watch and listen to Patriots vs. Texans this week
- Start: 1 PM ET
- Channel: CBS
- Listen:
- TuneIn Radio
- Sirius XM Radio
- Live Streaming Options:
- Hulu+ Live TV
- fuboTV
- YouTube TV
- Paramount Plus
- DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket
- NFL Mobile App