Texans vs. Seahawks MNF Point Spread: NFL Week 7 Odds, Prediction
Seattle is -3.5 with a small total of 40.5 points on the NFL odds for the 10 ET kickoff.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Seattle was a former AFC West team that was shifted to the NFC West when the NFL realigned to eight four-team divisions in 2002. The biggest reason for that realignment in’02 was the first year for the expansion Houston Texans. The AFC South was thus formed with the Texans joining Jacksonville and Tennessee there from the previous AFC Central as well as Indianapolis from the AFC East.
These teams are a bit similar in that they are led by defensive-minded head coaches, which is a little unusual these days as the NFL is an offence-first game. Seattle’s Mike Macdonald was a former defensive coordinator with the Ravens in his second season as head coach. Houston’s DeMeco Ryans was a former defensive coordinator with the 49ers in his third season as a head coach.
Because the Texans franchise is so new, there have only been five all-time meetings with Seattle, all in the regular season, and the Seahawks lead 4-1. They took the most recent matchup in Houston in 2021 by a score of 33-13 when Russell Wilson was under centre for Seattle and Davis Mills was for Houston.
Houston Texans
Houston’s DeMeco Ryans was a top NFL Coach of the Year candidate in his first season in 2023 as he led the team to the AFC South title and then-rookie QB CJ Stroud looked like a future MVP. But the Texans and especially Stroud regressed some last year. Then the team looked awful the first three games this year in losing each. Whispers about Ryans’ job status began. But Houston comes out of its bye off back-to-back wins and outscoring those foes 70-10. So is the team fixed or was it simply the competition: Baltimore was absolutely shredded by injury, and Tennessee might be the NFL’s worst team. Houston is still a below-average offensive team in averaging just 21.6 PPG under new coordinator Nick Caley’s tenure. But the defence has been lights out, leading the league at 12.2 PPG, best in the league.
Projected No. 1 running back Joe Mixon has yet to play this year recovering from a foot injury he sustained in the off-season, and Mixon reportedly still is not close. Veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks have been splitting carries for the most part. The Texans should be pretty healthy off the bye. They are 1-6 ATS in their past seven vs. NFC West foes.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle had a tough trip across the USA on Sunday and kicked off at 10 a.m. Pacific time in Jacksonville. The Seahawks looked sluggish down 6-0 after a quarter but prevailed 20-12, almost impossibly the team’s ninth straight road win. Both losses this year were by a combined seven points at home. Some questioned the Seahawks trading away starting QB Geno Smith this off-season and giving a big contract to Sam Darnold, but Darnold is among league leaders in passing yards (1,541), TDs (11) and rating (115.0). He’s also averaging a whopping 9.6 yards per attempt.
Darnold’s top wideout, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, is quickly becoming among the best in the NFL. His 696 receiving yards lead the league, are a team record through six games of a season and fourth-most in NFL history through six games by any player age 23 or younger. Seattle isn’t running the ball well yet, though, at 104.2 YPG despite a good 1-2 punch at tailback in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The team played without three key players from the defensive secondary on Sunday in corners Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen and safety Julian Love, but all three were fairly close to going. The extra day this week might be all they need. Seattle is 2-8 ATS in its past 10 at home.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Texans vs. Seahawks?
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HOU
SEA