Houston vs Green Bay (GB -2.5,47.5)
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Texans vs. Packers | Sunday, October 20, 2024
One of the youngest and most exciting quarterbacks in the AFC will face off against one of the youngest and most exciting quarterbacks in the NFC this Sunday, when the CJ Stroud-led Houston Texans tackle the Jordan Love-led Green Bay Packers. Both teams are coming off strong wins against inferior opponents, but it will be the Texans who feel a tad more comfortable, thanks to their 5-1 record that places them two games clear at the top of the AFC South.
Stroud has picked up from where he left off last year, passing for 1,577 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions over his first six weeks. His completion percentage has increased by just over 4% to 68.3%, and it is scary to think how much improvement is still likely to come. The Texans weren’t exactly tested by the 1-5 New England Patriots, but it was nonetheless important to see a good offensive outing without Nico Collins, who has been placed on injured reserve. Stefon Diggs kept ticking over, as he has done all year, collecting another six receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown, with Tank Dell also getting on the score sheet.
The most exciting thing for Houston, though, was another very good outing from Joe Mixon, who ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries. The run game has been the one part of the offense that has been missing for Houston over the last year, but Mixon has now passed the 100-yard mark in two of his three games so far and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry. With Mixon having missed three games due to injury, the Texans have only been averaging 118 yards per game on the ground, but this should increase now that he is back. This is fantastic news for an offense that is already thriving through the air, ranking fifth in the league with 256.3 passing yards per game.
Their opponents this week, the Packers, have been pretty sturdy so far against the run, limiting teams to just 110 yards per game, which is eighth best in the league. They have been a bit more generous to opposing pass attacks from a yardage perspective, but have been red hot on the takeaway front. New signing Xavier McKinney has been unbelievable, already bringing in five interceptions, which contributes to the team’s overall tally of nine interceptions on the season, which is third-best in the NFL.
The Packers have been thriving on turnovers on defense, and they have needed to, because their quarterback Jordan Love is tied for the second most interceptions thrown, with six, despite having missed two games due to injury. However, along with the interceptions, Love has made some absolutely outrageous throws this year, and is also tied for the second-most touchdowns, with 12. It is volatile and explosive, but it is working, with Love averaging 282.8 passing yards per game, also second-best, despite completing just 58.9% of his passes.
This weekend’s game should be box office, with the Texans boasting one of the better defenses in the NFL, giving up just 163.2 passing yards per game, which is fourth-best in the NFL. In total, 277 yards conceded per game is the fewest in the NFL, which means this is going to be a very tough test for Green Bay. The Packers are an unusual team to defend against, though, with a multitude of different offensive weapons to utilize. Jayden Reed is the go-to guy with 442 yards and three touchdowns on the season already, but Dontayvion Wicks, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Tucker Kraft also all have at least two touchdowns on the season. This one should be spicy.
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Game Total Under 47.5