Things won’t be getting any easier for the 0-1 Houston Texans in Week 2, as they welcome 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to town on Sunday. The Ravens are fresh off a 38-6 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns last week while the Texans will have had nine days to forget about their 34-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off 2020 NFL betting on Thursday Night Football.
Baltimore comes into the matchup as a 7-point favorite as Houston begins the 2020 season as back-to-back touchdown-or-more underdogs. The total sits at the second-highest number on the board at 51.5, after opening at 54.5 at some books.
Here are our NFL free picks and predictions for Ravens vs. Texans on September 20 (4:25 p.m. ET).
Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans betting preview
Weather
It will be a warm 86 degrees at NRG Stadium on Sunday with a medium wind (10 mph). Rain shouldn’t be a problem in Houston with only a four percent chance of rain in the forecast. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key Injuries
Ravens: Justice Hill RB (Out), Iman Marshall DB (Out), Andre Smith T (Out)
Texans: Duke Johnson RB (Out).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Ravens are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five road games while also going 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall. Find more NFL betting trends for Ravens vs. Texans.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Baltimore opened as a 6.5-point favorite but has gone to a flat -7 on many books. This could be a line that moves north of -7 as the weekend approaches, as Houston went over 45 minutes between its first and second scores last week and accumulated most of its yardage in the fourth quarter in catch-up mode.
After scoring on their second possession, the Texans allowed the Chiefs to score 31 unanswered points. Jackson and the passing game could be in for an easy day as Adam Chernoff and the Simple Handicap Podcast pointed out this week: Houston didn’t have a defender within one yard of 94 percent of any completion versus Patrick Mahomes in Week 1.
KC didn’t put up huge numbers offensively, but they moved the ball with ease, something Baltimore could emulate on Sunday.
PREDICTION: Baltimore -7 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Baltimore hit the Under last week, despite scoring 38 points (48 O/U). Cleveland and Baker Mayfield did not look good and it is difficult to tell if it was Baltimore’s good defense or just more disappointment from the Cleveland offense. The Browns’ QB finished with the second-worst QB rating in Week 1.
It was much of the same for Houston last week as some garbage time scoring led to a late Over of 53.5. If you cashed on that Over, consider yourself lucky as Houston went over 45 minutes without putting a point on the board. If Baltimore gets up big and forces Houston head coach Bill O’Brien to move the ball in a DeAndre Hopkins-less offense, we don’t like the Texans’ chances of getting as lucky as they did last week.
If, by chance, the Texans stay competitive in the game, we could see more of Houston’s David Johnson as O’Brien would love to show off his newest RB acquisition, who had success running before game script made hime invisible. The only way to beat Lamar Jackson is to keep him off the field and a clock-controlled offense would also favor the Under on Sunday.
PREDICTION: Under 51.5 (-110)
First quarter total pick
The Texans came out of the gates confidently last week before the wheels fell off. In Houston’s two first-quarter possessions, they gained 80 yards on 12 plays and a TD. The B.O.B offense had a great, scripted approach, but looked like a different unit after the first quarter. Conversely, they also allowed 88 yards to the Chiefs as their zone offense got picked apart underneath all day.
The Browns and Ravens combined for 16 first-quarter points as Baltimore forced two turnovers, scored 10 points but also allowed Cleveland to gain 33 percent of its total yards in the first frame. The Ravens can strike at any time as their play-action game is as deadly as it gets.
We are looking for a quick banger and taking the first-quarter Over.
PREDICTION: First quarter Over 10 (-105)
Ravens vs Texans betting card
- Baltimore -7 (-110)
- Under 51.5 (-110)
- First quarter Over 10 (-105)
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