Lions Can Continue Reign As Kings Of NFL

Lions vs. Texans, 8:20 ET

A few weeks ago you might've thought this would be a Super Bowl preview. Injuries have tempered the expectations a little bit - though the Lions are still viewed as one of the best teams in the league right now. The Texans have been good this year, but they have been bit by the injury bug and they have had a bit more of a hiccup than their foes in this game. On Sunday Night Football we get a good game between the Lions and Texans.

On October 13th, the Lions were facing the Cowboys and absolutely manhandling the team. They won the game 47-9 - it was out of hand for quite some time. Aiden Hutchinson broke his leg, and with that snap, I thought the Lions defense, and season, was likely done. I wasn't expecting them to be the worst team in the league or anything, just that they were unlikely to remain great. I was wrong, the next week, they beat the Vikings in a close battle. The past two weeks, the defense that lost their best player, has held opponents to 14 points in both games. Now they get to face an offense who doesn't have their two best receivers. There are still weapons on the Texans team, but it is significantly easier to play against them without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins patrolling the sideline. The Lions have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league with a two-headed rushing attack that would probably be among the best if they were split up, too. Jared Goff isn't the top name that you think of when it comes to quarterbacks in the NFC, but he's done an admirable job of getting the ball to his weapons and not making too many stupid mistakes.

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans jogs onto the field against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The Texans are in a bit of trouble, but they aren't dead in the water. They are still in control of their destiny and have a good chance of taking their division. I was on the Jets last week as I felt like it was a bad situation for Houston. The Jets took the game 21-13, in what seems like their first win in ages. Tank Dell and Joe Mixon are still key offensive weapons for the Texans and could make an impact in this game. Mixon has been outstanding this year and has once again racked up over 100 rushing yards. They are giving him the ball often and I think Houston will continue to try and to that here. The Lions are actually one of the top rushing defenses in football, but I think part of that is because the opposition has to pass in order to keep up with the offense. Mixon will still get plenty of tries here as the Texans really don't have an option. CJ Stroud will also look to exploit the Lions secondary. Again, this is partially due to the scoring disparity at times, but the Lions allow the fourth most yards to opponents via passing.

This is one of the more exciting games on the schedule this week. I think this game will have a lot of points, but I'm not sure I want to bet that the teams rack up at least 50 points in order for us to win. Instead, I think I will take the Lions -3 (buying the half-point). The Lions are the better team and are certainly more healthy than the Texans. It isn't easy to win on the road, but the Texans offense won't be as good as the Detroit one. I'll back the Lions here -3. 

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