Texans vs Chargers: Odds, Predictions, and Best Bet for Saturday, December 27

The Houston Texans will head west to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in one of NFL Week 17’s top matchups. Both teams are sitting pretty as far as playoff berths. The Chargers just clinched a spot, and the Texans have a 97% chance of doing so after this weekend.

That being said, both teams are in a dogfight to win their respective division races. The Texans are one game back of the upstart Jaguars, and the Chargers are still a full game behind the Broncos. Because of this, we’re expecting this one to have all the feels of a playoff atmosphere in Inglewood.

How will this one play out? We’ll dive into which team has the edge in each statistical category. Get our predictions and best player prop below. Best of luck, sports betting family.

Opening Odds for Houston vs Los Angeles

Oddsmakers are making the Chargers a very small favorite in this game, as the opening line actually priced Houston as a 1-point favorite on the lookahead line. However, most sportsbooks were flooded with lots of early money on the Chargers. That’s why Los Angeles is now favored by 1.5 to 2 points at most online sportsbooks as of Friday morning.

The books are expecting a lower amount of scoring in this game. The opening total was 39.5, and that’s still where we still sit at most shops as of Friday morning. FanDuel is currently dealing an Under 39.5 for -105 for folks who want to go that route.

Will the Texans Stay Hot?

Despite looking a little rough at times last week against the Raiders, this Texans team has been one of the hottest in football over the last couple of months. Houston has won seven in a row and still has a small chance to overtake Jacksonville for the AFC South crown. It’s amazing how DeMeco Ryans keeps putting his team in the position to win games, even with some glaring weaknesses.

The story of this Houston team is their fierce defense. The Texans lead the NFL in points per game allowed and they rank an insanely good 4th in yards per play allowed. Edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter have combined for 24.5 sacks, so the Chargers will probably have to play with more tight ends to help out in pass protection.

The Texans offense has been tough to watch at times, mainly because they have plenty of issues along their offensive line. That has caused QB CJ Stroud to not be nearly as sharp. The former Ohio State star still has decent stats (2628 passing yards, 16 TDs), but he’s struggling to make the right reads at times.

Will the Chargers O-Line Hold Up?

It’s incredible how Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert have held this Chargers squad together this season. Despite a whole slew of injuries, the Chargers are still one of the toughest teams to beat in the AFC. Herbert and his solid stable of skill players mask a lot of subpar performances along the O-line.

Herbert has thrown for 3491 yards and 25 TDs so far this season. He does have 12 interceptions, but a lot of that is because he’s received very little help from his running game. Herbert loves to throw to Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston.

The Chargers defense has struggled against the run this season, as they rank 22nd in yards per rush allowed and 21st in rushing TDs allowed per game. However, the secondary has played incredibly well all year long, as they rank 7th in yards per pass allowed. Donte Jackson and Tony Jefferson have both amassed 4 interceptions to lead the squad in that area.

Best Bet: Texans +2 (-109) (1.5 Units)

We’ve made over 8 units of profit by betting on this Texans team this year, and I don’t see any reason to jump off that train. After a lackluster effort against Vegas last week, I expect DeMeco Ryans to get a better effort out of his boys in this one. The Chargers have a ton of weapons, but this Texans defense will be the best unit LA has faced all year long.

Both teams have offensive line issues, so this could be a defensive struggle the entire way. That’s just the kind of games that Ryans thrives in. Los Angeles ranks just 30th in passing blocking, so I could see Anderson or Hunter coming up with a sack-fumble or two in this one. Give me the points!