HOUSTON TEXANS (5-9) vs. DENVER BRONCOS (3-11) NFL Free Pick – Odds – Handicapping Preview
With Sunday Week 16 NFL football betting just a couple days away, Cappers Picks NFL handicappers have been hard at work putting out tons of other NFL betting info and NFL Predictions & Previews for those of us who can’t wait.
Week 16: Texans at Broncos Matchup – Betting Lines
Sunday, December 26, 4:05 PM ET
INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Broadcast: CBS
Texans vs. Broncos Betting Lines from Sportsbook.com
Spread: Houston -3
Moneyline: Houston -145: Denver +125
Over/Under: 48.5 points
Go Inside This Matchup With Our NFL ATS Stats —>
Bet On This Game Now at MySportsbook.com —>
One losing streak will end on Sunday when the Houston Texans, losers of three straight games travel to Mile High to take on the Denver Broncos, losers of five in a row. For the Broncos, the Tim Tebow experiment will continue and for the Texans, finishing strong is the only thing left to play for.
The Texans bring their high powered offense to Denver – they are the 5th best passing team (255.79 yards per game) and the 10th ranked rushing team (121.93 yards per game). Arian Foster will try to hold on to his rushing lead in the NFL – his injuries won’t keep him out. There is some question about Andre Johnson’s availability however – he will be a game time decision with a nagging ankle injury. 
The Achilles heel for the Texans has been the defense. They are dead last against the pass (275.01 yards per game) and are a respectable 10th versus the run (101.93 yards per game). Tim Tebow will have a chance to impress this week but the running game might have some trouble keeping the Texans defense honest.
The Denver Broncos are a complete disaster. Surprisingly, the Broncos have the 7th best passing game in the NFL (253.00 yards per game). Most of those numbers have come in garbage time with Kyle Orton under center. Tim Tebow passed for only 138 yards and a touchdown in his debut last week, but rumbled for another 78 yards and a touchdown. Knowshon Moreno is highly questionable this week, making the 29th ranked rushing attack (90.86 yards per game) a virtual non-factor against Houston.
The Denver defense will have a difficult time slowing down Arian Foster, Matt Schaub and his stable of quality receivers. Champ Bailey will likely be matched up with Andre Johnson but the 22nd ranked pass defense will not contain Schaub and the rest of his pass catchers. Arian Foster will be the difference in the game. The league’s top rusher must be licking his chops at the prospect of facing the NFL’s second worst rushing defense.
Betting Outlook:
The Houston Texans are 1-7 SU in their last eight games and are 2-8 ATS in their last 10. Houston is 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS in their last five games on the road.
The Denver Broncos are 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall. They are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five games at home and are 0-6 ATS against teams with losing records.
The Houston Texans are by far the superior team in this game. To think that the Broncos will be able to contain the Houston attack is a pipe dream at best. With Houston scoring at will, it will put the ball in Tim Tebow’s hands. This will be too much for the youngster – he is bound to make some mistakes. With Tebow becoming the centerpiece in the offense and with Knowshon Moreno possibly sitting Sunday out, this pick is easy!
Betting Pick: Houston Texans -3
