Texans vs Patriots Picks & Predictions for Week 6: Digging In

The Houston Texans may be without Nico Collins for a handful of games, but Stefon Diggs is more than capable of stepping up and producing. Neil Parker believes a matchup against the Patriots will give Diggs every opportunity for a big receiving day.

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst
Oct 11, 2024 • 13:06 ET • 4 min read

NFL

Match starts: 45 hrs
NE
35 %
HOU
65 %
Read Analysis
Stefon Diggs Houston Texans NFL
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports. Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs celebrates a touchdown.

The New England Patriots are turning to rookie quarterback Drake Maye for his first career start, and he’ll go up against a formidable Houston Texans defense. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and the game will be televised on CBS.

My Texans vs. Patriots predictions and NFL picks expect the rookie to have a tough day, while first-year Houston receiver Stefon Diggs puts together a big afternoon through the air for a fourth consecutive week.

Texans vs Patriots prediction

My best bet
Stefon Diggs Over 64.5 receiving yards (-110 at BetMGM)

My analysis

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs has cleared this benchmark in three straight games while piling up 21 receptions for 245 yards on 29 targets. His 25.2% target share per route run and 72.4% catch rate are excellent ratios during the run, and the New England Patriots aren’t an intimidating opponent.

The New England Patriots have surrendered a healthy 7.95 yards per target and 65.7% catch rate to opposing wide receivers while ranking 23rd in EPA allowed per dropback and 25th in dropback success rate. New England also ranks 28th in defensive DVOA and 23rd in defense-grade, per PFF.

Add that New England ranks 30th in pressure percentage and deals with multiple injuries on defense, and Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud is set up to pick the Patriots apart through the air.

The Texans are also without go-to receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) for at least the next four weeks, so Diggs’ role in the aerial attack isn’t in question. His PFF receiving grade has climbed in three consecutive games, and I think there’s potential for him to garner more downfield looks moving forward with Collins sidelined. 

Diggs is sporting a career-low 6.6 aDoT through five weeks, and he’s posted a double-digit mark in each of the past five seasons. Collins has a 12.6 mark this year after going for 11.5 in 2023, so Diggs being targeted down the field more is definitely in the cards. Stroud’s 7.4 aDoT is well below last year’s 9.4 mark, too.

Texans vs Patriots same-game parlay

Texans -7

Stefon Diggs Over 64.5 receiving yards

C.J. Stroud 200+ passing yards

In addition to the highlighted defensive shortcoming of the Patriots, they’ve been just as bad on offense and are turning to rookie quarterback Drake Maye for his first career start. The Houston stop unit has also been a beast. The Texans sport the third-best defensive DVOA and rank fourth in pass-rush win rate while also allowing the fourth-lowest yards per attempt to opposing quarterbacks. 

It’s going to be a long day for New England on both sides of the ball.

The final leg of this same-game parlay capitalizes on the highlighted weakness of the Pats' pass defense and the touch of positive regression ahead of Stroud’s aDoT. He’s trading with a 234.5 passing yards total at BetMGM, and I do worry that the Texans will turn to the ground after establishing a healthy lead.

Still, I expect him to be efficient and pile up yards while building a comfortable lead.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Texans vs Patriots odds

Texans vs Patriots live odds

Texans vs Patriots opening odds

  • Spread: Houston -7 | New England +7
  • Moneyline: Houston -300 | New England +240
  • Over/Under: Over 38.5 | Under 38.5

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Texans vs Patriots spread and Over/Under analysis

  • This spread hasn’t moved off of Houston -7 since opening at BetMGM.
  • It’s notable that there have been shops testing New England +6.5, but the line never lasted. If anything, I expect this spread to move to Houston -7.5 before -6.5 ahead of Sunday’s game.
  • This total has been bet down from an opening 39.5, with BetMGM hanging 38 as of Friday afternoon.
  • I don’t suspect there will be a lot of support for the Over heading into kickoff, either. As noted, the Pats offense is up against it, and the Texans could be milking the clock late.

Texans vs Patriots betting trend to know

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs has recorded 69 or more receiving yards each of the past three weeks for an average of 81.7 per game. Find more NFL betting trends for Texans vs. Patriots.

Texans vs Patriots game info

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Date: Sunday, 10-13, 2024
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS

Texans vs Patriots latest injuries

Texans vs Patriots weather

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Not intended for use in MA.
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Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs with Sportsbook Review, USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook, and RotoWire, among many others. He also co-hosted the Daily Fantasy Edge podcast and can now be seen offering expert golf and hockey advice on Covers’ Before you Bet broadcast.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

Neil’s top pieces of advice for recreational bettors are to stay within your means and to remember sportsbooks aren’t bank accounts. Don’t be afraid to pull those winnings and treat yourself to a lifetime experience courtesy of a big win.

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