Ravens vs. Texans Point Spread: NFL Week 17 Odds, Prediction
Both these teams are playoff bound, but there’s more on the line for the Ravens. The Texans have already clinched the AFC South despite last week’s 27-19 loss in Kansas City, while Baltimore got a massive boost to their chances of winning the AFC North with a 34-17 win over Pittsburgh.
The Ravens are tied with the Steelers for the division lead and hold the tiebreaker, so a win on Christmas Day could be enough to lock up the AFC North.
Baltimore is a 5.5-point favourite to win on the NFL odds, with the total pegged at 46.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Ravens have won five straight head-to-heads, including a 34-10 home win in the divisional round of the playoffs last year. Overall, Baltimore outscored the Texans 59-19 in the two games they played in 2023.
The Ravens have been a bit of a better cover option this season. Baltimore is 8-6-1 against the spread, while Houston is 6-7-2 ATS. The Ravens have been a particularly good cover option on the road, going 8-3 ATS in their last 11 away dates.
Baltimore has put points on the board, hitting the Over in 12 of 15 games in 2024 and eight of nine on the road dating to last season. The Texans have been a different story, with the Over hitting in just one of seven home games this season.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore used the run-game to effectively shutdown the Steelers last week, racking up 220 rushing yards as a team. Derrick Henry accounted for 162 of those yards on the ground, the seventh time this season he has hit the century mark. The former Titans star has been a beast in his first year with the Ravens, ranking second in the NFL in rushing yards (1.636) and tied for third in rushing TDs (13).
I would expect Henry’s numbers to drop off a bit this week, however. The Texans rank third in the NFL in opponent yards per play (5.0), 10th in opponent points per play (0.352) and 11th in opponent rushing yards per game (106.8).
Houston Texans
The Texans took a huge blow with the loss of Tank Dell, who had 98 receiving yards last week before suffering a season-ending knee injury while successfully hauling in a TD catch. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw for 244 yards, two TDs and two interceptions, was visibly upset as Dell was carted off the field. It’s the second year in a row the second-year wideout has suffered a season-ending injury.
Look for Nico Collins to see more reps in the absence of Dell. Collins is 14th in the NFL in yards per reception (15.1) and 17th in receiving yards (909) and he’ll be up against a Baltimore defence that ranks 31st in average passing yards allowed per game (254.9).
BAL
HOU