The 1-12-1 Texans have the worst record in the entire NFL, losing nine straight albeit playing competitive ball as of late. Tennessee is on a slump of their own, standing at 7-7 on the season but having dropped four straight and now with a one-game lead on the division.

The Titans are also going into Week 16 with their entire starting offensive line and quarterback Ryan Tannehill on their injury report. Tannehill hurt his ankle last Sunday and was a non-participant in Tuesday’s practice.

Kickoff at Nissan Stadium goes at 1 p.m. EST, with the Titans currently a 4.5-point favourite and the total at 37 on the NFL odds.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

In Week 8 it was Davis Mills versus Malik Willis at quarterback for Houston and Tennessee respectively, and it could be the same this Saturday with Tannehill’s status uncertain. Mills and Willis combined for 207 passing yards in that Week 8 meeting, a 17-10 Titans win. Tennessee did dominate the game though with 314 rushing yards, 219 of which coming from Derrick Henry.

Five of the last six Texans–Titans contests played in Tennessee have gone under the total. Houston is the third-worst offence so far with 16.8 points per game, and Tennessee isn’t much better with the 26th-ranked offence at 18.2 points per game. The under has hit in eight of Tennessee’s last 11 outings.

Houston Texans

The Texans have suffered back-to-back single-digit losses versus double-digit win teams. They’ve also scored at least 23 points in both losses, which is a feat they hadn’t reached since Week 4. Taking AFC-leading Kansas City to overtime was Houston’s latest result, and the Texans actually led by a point at halftime. Digging deeper Houston still got outgained 502-219 by Kansas City but they capitalized on two Chiefs fumbles and went three for four in the red zone.

Receiver Nico Collins (foot), and starting linemen Kenyon Green (ankle) and Laremy Tunsil (illness) all missed practice Tuesday which isn’t good news for an already banged up Houston squad.

Tennessee Titans

Injuries have decimated Tennessee’s offensive line, with three current starters missing Tuesday’s practice and the other two being limited. And this is a unit already with three members on the injured reserve. Derrick Henry has still found a way to be effective though, and has a strong history against Houston. Henry has rushed for over 200 yards in four straight games for the Texans, scoring nine touchdowns in that span.

And if Tannehill can’t play and it is Malik Willis at quarterback Saturday, expect it to be a huge workload for Henry, and even Willis, on the ground. In two starts in relief this season, Willis passed for a total of 135 yards and had 13 carries for 52 yards.

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Texans vs. Titans?