Following their crushing defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Houston Texans are continuing their unexpected playoff push. As the Texans sit atop the AFC South in a three-way tie at 8-7, winning each of the next two games is practically a necessity.
The first game is a home game on New Year’s Eve against the Tennessee Titans, who at 5-10 are the only club left in the AFC South race. The Texans haven’t had a very good few weeks due to injuries, as they’ve dropped two of their last three games, but oddsmakers favor their chances of finishing 2023 strong. In the divisional round on Sunday, FanDuel Sportsbook opened Houston as a 3.5-point home favorite showdown.
This season, the Texans and Titans were two of the “lucky” teams to play twice in three weeks against divisional opponents, an odd practice adopted by the NFL. When the two teams last faced off in Nashville on December 17, the Titans tried to sour the relationship by dressing in their vintage Houston Oilers uniforms. But with veteran journeyman quarterback Case Keenum replacing the injured C.J. Stroud, the Texans prevailed 19–16 in overtime. Related: The most recent NFL Power Rankings: Where Do the Texans Stand? In related news, the Texans are still struggling with a ton of injuries as of Sunday’s game. Stroud remains in the concussion protocol, and the health of other important players like defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and linebacker Blake Cashman are still up in the air after missing the Browns game. That’s not to mention the players who suffered injuries in said game, like safety Jimmie Ward and defensive end Jonathan Greenard. Sunday’s game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET, with the Texans essentially needing a win to keep their playoff and division title hopes alive.
