Texans (3-13-1 last season) vs. Saints (7-10 last year)
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints 8/27/2023 — During the offseason, the Houston Texans management executed a series of strategic maneuvers to fortify the team and propel it toward progress. Among the pivotal choices made by Houston, two stood out as particularly significant: the selection of quarterback C.J. Stroud from Ohio State as the second overall pick in the draft and the appointment of former San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as the team’s new head coach. Ryans is well aware that the growth and development of Stroud in his quarterback role will likely directly impact the team’s performance. Stroud’s progress has been encouraging throughout training camp, manifesting in steady improvement and commendable showings in the first two preseason games.
Meanwhile, as they approach their final preseason game, the New Orleans Saints have appeared virtually flawless, effectively addressing most of their positional uncertainties. Notably, quarterback Derek Carr’s participation during the preseason has been sporadic, and it’s anticipated that he will see even less action during the upcoming Sunday night match. In the preceding Sunday’s game, backups Jameis Winston and Jake Haener shouldered most of the playing time, a trend likely to persist as the regular season nears.
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Game Info
Time: 8:00 PM ET.
Date: Monday, August 27, 2023
Venue: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA
TV: FOX
Texans QB Davis Mills and Saints QB Andy Dalton
Davis Mills completed 22 of his 38 pass attempts, amassing 298 yards and 3 touchdowns. His quarterback rating stood at 87.4, but he did encounter 2 interceptions over the course of the game. The Texans faced difficulties in containing the running game, yielding 196 yards on 33 rushing attempts, translating to an average of 5.9 yards per carry. When it came to defending against the pass, Houston allowed 23 completions out of 35 attempts, resulting in a total of 202 passing yards and a completion rate of 65.7%. Throughout the contest, the Texans executed 64 plays contributing to their overall yardage of 360.
On the opposing side, Andy Dalton concluded the game with 171 passing yards, connecting on 15 of his 25 attempts, leading to a respectable passer rating of 93.9, along with 1 touchdown. The average yardage gained per passing attempt was 6.8 yards, and he managed to avoid throwing any interceptions. Against the run, the New Orleans defense confronted 41 rushing attempts, leading to 171 yards gained at an average of 4.2 yards per rush. The Saints’ pass defense demonstrated a solid performance, limiting the completion rate to 33.3% and conceding 32 yards on 5 of 15 pass attempts. In terms of offensive plays, the Saints executed 58, collectively accumulating 304 yards and averaging 5.2 yards per play over the course of the game.
Odds/Point Spread: New Orleans Saints -3.5, Total Odds: 38.5
On Sunday night, the Texans, a youthful, tough team, should be the more competitive. The seasoned Saints team has nothing to prove on Sunday night, and they have even less need to utilize several important veterans in a meaningless preseason game. Houston could be more inclined to observe their full offensive line in action behind Stroud while they are still settling on a quarterback. The younger Texans will also have more appealing choices to pick from at a number of positions and could want to take a closer look at certain guys competing for slots on the 53-man roster.
Houston Texans Betting Trends
- The Houston Texans are 4-2 SU in their last 6 meetings with the Saints.
- The total stayed UNDER in 12 of Houston’s last 18 games on the road.
- Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road against New Orleans.
- The Texans are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games against National Football Conference opponents.
New Orleans Saints Betting Trends
- The total stayed UNDER in 5 of New Orleans’ last 6 games with the Texans.
- The total remained UNDER in 4 of the Saints’ last 6 games at home.
- The New Orleans Saints are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home against Houston.
- The total remained UNDER in 8 of New Orleans’ last 12 games against an opponent in the American Football Conference.
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Trends
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints: This game will be a mismatch, as the New Orleans Saints are the much better team in the preseason and the regular season. The New Orleans team will want as much momentum heading into the regular season, and there is no better time to get it going this Sunday against the Houston Texans. The Saints are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games against an American Football Conference South division opponent. The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Houston’s last 16 games against an opponent in the National Football Conference South division.
Free Pick and Prediction: New Orleans Saints will win 22-18.
