Sunday Night Football: The undefeated Texans host the Packers

The Texans look to stay undefeated when they host the Packers on Sunday Night Football. According to the oddsmakers at America's Bookie,  the Texans are 3-point favorites and the total is set at 47½.   

The Packers have struggled on the road lately, losing three straight games straight up and four straight games ATS. They blew an 18-point lead in a 30-27 loss against the Colts last week after getting outscored 27-6 in the final two quarters. The Packers offense is getting close to last year's form, but running back Cedric Benson (foot) and tight end Jermichael Finley (shoulder) were both injured last week, joining wide receiver Greg Jennings (groin). Benson will be out six to eight weeks, Finley is questionable and Jennings is doubtful for this game.

Running back Alex Green will likely receive the bulk of carries in this game, but he has just 15 rushing attempts over two NFL seasons. However, he did rush for 63 yards against the Colts. The Packers defense rank 17th in the NFL in both rushing yards (114.2 rushing yards per game) and passing yards (230 passing yards per game), which would be even better if they created more turnovers, as they have forced only one turnover in their last three games combined.

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub he is having a strong season, completing 64% of his passes for 1,162 yards (232 passing yards per game), eight touchdowns and just two interceptions. His numbers will be even more impressive once Andre Johnson (groin) gets healthy. The star wide receiver has just nine catches for 164 yards and one touchdown over the past four weeks. Tight end Owen Daniels has been getting some of the passes usually headed towards Johnson. Daniels leads the team with 23 catches and has scored a touchdown in three straight games.

The Texans running game has been inconsistent this season, but it still ranks sixth in the league with 143.0 rushing yards per game after gaining 169 yards (4.8 yards per carry) against the Jets last week. The Texans defense has allowed 20 points just once this season, and has stopped teams both in the air (190.2 passing yards per game, 3rd in NFL) and on the ground (85.4 rushing yards per game, 9th in league). Defensive end J.J. Watt has 26 tackles, 7½ sacks, 8 passes defended and two fumble recoveries. However, the Texans lost their defensive leader, linebacker Brian Cushing, for the season with a torn ACL.

There are key NFL betting trends that favor the Texans. They're 10-2-1 ATS in their last 13 games after a win and 12-3-2 ATS in their last 17 games overall. The Packers on the other hand are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games and 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall. Look for the Texans to rely on a stout defense and a strong running game to control the time of possession and remain undefeated. Take the Texans -3 at home.

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