New England Patriots (8-9 last year) vs Houston Texans (3-13-1 last season)
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots 8/10/2023 — Houston struggled in every aspect of the game last season, going 3-13-1. The Texans lost out on the first overall pick in the draft due to their two victories in the final three weeks of the regular season, but they still chose Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick. Then, to choose Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., the Texans rose from number twelve to number three in the draft. Houston should become more competitive in 2023 with the addition of two cornerstone players, one on either side of the ball, especially in the weak AFC South.
Since Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay, New England has had trouble, going 25–25 in the last three years with one playoff berth that resulted in a lopsided loss to Buffalo in the wild-card round in 2021. Last season, the Patriots finished 8-9 but lost their way late to finish outside of the postseason picture. Bill O’Brien returned to New England as the offensive coordinator, and the team is hoping that he can get things moving on that side of the ball after finishing just 17th in scoring offense (21.4 ppg) last year. The Patriots were just 24th in running offense (106.6 ypg) and 26th in total offense (314.6 ypg) in 2022, despite being in the middle of the pack in terms of scoring.
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots Game Info
Time: 7:00 PM ET.
Date: Thursday, August 10, 2023
Location: Gillette Stadium, MA
TV: NFL NET
Houston QB Stroud and New England QB Jones
The Texans added a number of new players over the summer, and the organization declared on Monday that Stroud will start at quarterback for this game. According to coach DeMeco Ryans, the starters have no plans to play for more than a few series. Davis Mills, and Case Keenum will probably follow Stroud will also be a possibility at quarterback. Last season, Mills finished 292 of 479 passes for 3,118 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Despite his decline in year two, Mac Jones is still the Patriots‘ top quarterback on the depth chart (288 of 442, 2997 yards, 14 TD, 11 INT). He’ll probably stand on the sidelines for most of the preseason wearing a cap or visor. In the preseason, the first-team offense, such as it is, will use Bailey Zappe a good lot (65 of 92, 781 yards, five TD, three INT). He’ll most likely compete for the #2 place on the depth chart with Trace McSorley (45 of 83, 412 yards, five interceptions), but keep an eye on newcomer Malik Cunningham, a dual threat at Louisville.
Odds/Point Spread: Houston Texans -1.5, Total Odds: 38.5
The Houston Texans are 0-7 SU in their last 7 matches when playing on the road against New England. The total went UNDER in 5 of Houston’s last 7 matches against an opponent in the American Football Conference. The total went UNDER in 6 of Houston’s last 7 matches against an American Football Conference East opponent. The Houston Texans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 matches played in August. The New England Patriots are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 matches against an opponent in the American Football Conference. The New England Patriots are 4-1 SU in their last 5 matches against an American Football Conference South opponent. The total went UNDER in 9 of New England’s last 12 matches played in August. The New England Patriots are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 matches played on a Thursday.
Houston Texans Betting Trends
The Houston Texans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 matches. The total went UNDER in 6 of Houston’s last 9 matches. Houston is 2-10 SU in their last 12 matches. The Houston Texans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 matches against New England. The Houston Texans are 3-9 SU in their last 12 matches against New England. The Houston Texans are 6-12 SU in their last 18 matches on the road.
New England Patriots Betting Trends
The New England Patriots are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 matches. The New England Patriots are 2-5 SU in their last 7 matches. The total went OVER in 11 of New England’s last 15 matches against Houston. The total went UNDER in 4 of New England’s last 5 matches at home. The New England Patriots are 7-0 SU in their last 7 matches when playing at home against Houston.
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots Betting Trends
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots: Both teams experienced problems last year, and there is still work to be done for them to get better in 2023. Houston is very young on both sides of the ball thanks to the addition of players that the team hopes will serve as franchise pillars. With Belichick as their head coach, New England does benefit from the experience, but they must find methods to strengthen their attack. We are aware of the Patriots’ skill position talent, but it is still unclear how well that side of the ball will function now that O’Brien will once again be in charge of play-calling. Right now, you have to award this to the squad with some prior expertise and a demonstrated track record. Pick the Patriots to win at home because they deserve it.
Free Pick and Prediction: New England Patriots will win 20-17.
