Texans vs. Rams Point Spread: NFL Week 1 Odds, Prediction
Both the Texans and Rams are coming off division championships a season ago but both enter this NFL campaign with some massive questions.
Houston failed to take a step forward in quarterback C.J. Stroud’s sophomore season, finishing last year with the exact same 10-7 record from 2023. The offensive regression made the Texans feel the need to part ways with OC Bobby Slowik, and move Nick Caley in as the new play-caller. Regardless, Houston is set to field what looks to be a top NFL defence… at least on paper.
In L.A., there is a lot of pressure on the back of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford — literally. The injury news with Stafford this summer has cast a dark cloud over the Rams off-season, which had been an exciting time with the acquisition of receiver Davante Adams.
Kickoff at SoFi Stadium is set for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. EDT, with the Rams a three-point favourite and -160 on the moneyline. The total is set at 44 on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Houston comes into Sunday having won just five of their last 20 meetings with an NFC opponent. To make matters worse, Rams head coach Sean McVay has a tendency to get his teams off on the right foot as McVay’s teams are 6-2 in Week 1. Houston has also gone an abysmal 1-5-1 against the spread in their last six September outings. Ten of the Rams last 15 September contests have finished over the total too.
Despite the question marks on offence, Houston is the favourite to win the AFC South at -105 odds. Overall, the Texans enter the season with -140 odds to make the playoffs. The Rams are +180 to repeat as NFC West champs, which is the second-best odds to San Francisco. Oddsmakers still like L.A.’s chances to make the post-season, as they are listed at -150 to do so.
Houston Texans
You could argue that last season the infrastructure around QB C.J. Stroud set him up to fail. There was also the unfortunate knee injury to Tank Dell, who won’t play this season. A mysterious Joe Mixon injury has hampered Houston’s offensive weapons even more, as Nick Chubb currently is atop the RB depth chart. At receiver, Nico Collins is who this offence will run through. The Texans added Christian Kirk in free agency and drafted Jayden Higgins (34th overall) and Jaylin Noel (79th overall) to hopefully add some juice to the unit. Kirk also missed Wednesday’s practice due to a hamstring injury. Then there’s the re-worked offensive line in Houston, but most agree this unit can’t get much worse than last year… or can it?
Now for the good part: the Texans defence should be elite. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate (+1200 odds) while Derek Stingley Jr. has grown into one of the NFL’s top corners. Danielle Hunter led the team in sacks with 12 last season and is back on the d-line. Houston acquired safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson via trade, and he joins a loaded secondary alongside breakout rookie Kamari Lassiter and safety Jalen Pitre.
Los Angeles Rams
The good news, and bottom line in L.A. is Matthew Stafford is not even on the injury report. Only one player is in fact, and it’s a key one in left tackle Alaric Jackson. But there’s nothing to worry about it as Jackson was a full participant in a padded practice for the first time this season after dealing with the effects of blood clotting. The gang’s all back together on the Rams offence, plus the prized off-season acquisition Davante Adams. The dynamic between Adams and Puka Nacua should provide as good of a one-two WR punch in the NFL.
L.A. added defensive tackle Poona Ford in free agency, beefing up what is already set to be a high-end defensive front. Sophomore Jared Verse is only looking to build on a stellar rookie season while defensive ends Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner both return after productive seasons rushing the passer. There’s no star names in the secondaries per se, but the overall balance of the unit should be enough to get by — especially with the pass-rush now deployed.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Texans vs. Rams?
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HOU
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