Houston Texans: Can They Score at Least 17 Points in Week 7?

There’s never been a better time to be a Houston fan – if you follow baseball. Unfortunately for the Houston Texans, the storyline isn’t quite the same. The dark days in Houston can’t be blamed on just one person or player. Former Head Coach Bill O’Brien seemed like he was in over his head, leaving a path of destruction in his wake, including trading arguably the best wide receiver in football for next to nothing.

Then there’s the ongoing saga of superstar QB Deshaun Watson, who continues to be embroiled in controversy and is likely on his way to another team. Add the hodgepodge of washed-up running backs to the mix and a defense that can’t stop anybody, and Houston has a problem. NFL betting lines have Houston as a massive dog this week.

In Week 7, the Texans head to the desert to take on the 6-0 Arizona Cardinals. While no one is expecting the game to be competitive, the question is, will the Texans be able to put up any points at all? Let’s take a look.

Houston Texans Offense

They might play in the Lone Star State, but it’s hard to find even one star on the Texans’ roster. H-Town’s offense has been anemic this year because they don’t have much firepower.

Tyrod Taylor did an admirable job keeping them respectable in the first two weeks, but the Texans have spiraled since he went down with an injury. Only the Jets have scored fewer points than the Texans this year, and they’ve played one less game since they had a bye last week.

After putting up 37 points in Week 1 against the Jaguars, Houston has scored just 55 points in the last five games combined. They were on the wrong end of a 31-3 defeat last week and now have to face a great team with a defense that allowed just 20 points to the high-flying Rams a few weeks ago.

Texans vs. Cardinals

This game is a mismatch from all angles. The Texans are the biggest underdog of the weekend at +17, and that spread might even be generous to Houston.

It’s not that rookie quarterback Davis Mills has been particularly terrible, but he’s been running for his life most of the season. The third-round pick has already been sacked 13 times this year, and that doesn’t bode well this week when they take on the sack-happy Cardinals. On the other hand, the Cards’ defense has played great this year and has made some excellent offenses look average.

They’re coming off an obliteration of the Browns in a game where they sacked Baker Mayfield five times and forced him to lose two fumbles. On the year, Arizona has allowed their opponents an average of just 18 points per game, and that average should go down after this week.

Can They Triumph in Garbage Time?

Garbage time has always been quite polarizing for sports bettors. It’s led to many triumphant wins but also some soul-crushing defeats. There will be plenty of garbage time for Houston with Arizona playing soft coverage in a game that should see the Cardinals up by a very comfortable margin by the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately, the answer is probably no. The Texans have scored on just 15.8% of their fourth-quarter drives this year (worst in the NFL), while the Cardinals defense has allowed scores on only 17.6% of fourth-quarter drives (best in the NFL).

I Believe You Should Look Elsewhere This Week

When making your picks for the King of the Weekend promo this week, you can do much better than the Houston Texans. Miracles can indeed happen, but I don’t believe that this isn’t one of those times.

The Cardinals defense will have their ears pinned back this week, and it’s going to be a long day for Davis Mills and the Texans. So create an account with BetMGM and choose the teams that you think will score the most points this weekend for your chance at $50,000.