Houston At Minnesota 2016 NFL Winning Predictions

When you play a sport as fast and violent as football is, you come to understand that no team gets though the season unscathed. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, and it’s often the timing of those injuries, as well as the severity, that can affect how well a team performs. The Minnesota Vikings were considered to be one of the favorites coming into the season, but the loss of QB teddy Bridgewater before Week 1 even began led many to believe that it may be an uphill struggle for them. That has not been the case, though, as the defense has risen up and led this team to a 4-0 start. They have a tough one on tap this weekend versus the 3-1 Houston Texans, but the visitors are going to be up against it a little, as they are heading into hostile territory without the services of the injured J.J. Watt. This looks as though it may be a defensive battle for the ages, as both of these teams have been built from the defense up. Find the latest NFL betting odds here.

Analyzing The Texans At Vikings 2016 NFL Winning Predictions

When: Sunday, October 9 at 1 PM EST
Where: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Network
NFL Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Houston Texans

We always knew that the Houston Texans were going to be good on the defensive side of the ball, but the big question heading into the 2016 NFL season was about what they would do on offense. Houston spent a ton of money to acquire the services of QB Brock Osweiler, and while the kid definitely has promise, he is still lacking in experience. Osweiler has made a number of big mistakes so far this season, but he has also done enough to help this team get to 3-1. The defense has been stellar, and they performed exceptionally well without J.J. Watt in the line-up in a 27-20 Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans. If the offense can do a better job of protecting the football, the Texans have a shot here.

Why bet on the Minnesota Vikings

While it has been the Vikings defense that has been getting all the plaudits so far this season, you also have to give some credit to the offense. Not only are they playing without Bridgewater, they have now also lost Adrian Peterson, yet they are still managing to average 22 PPG. A big part of their offensive success has been the play of QB Sam Bradford. He has made a seamless transition into the squad, and in his two starts has avoided the mistakes that have plagued him throughout his young career. So far, Bradford has over 700 yards and 4 TD’s in his 3 appearances, and hast yet to toss a pick.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I expect a pretty tight defensive struggle in this one, and you have to think that the smart play here is the UNDER. I will certainly be playing that, and I’ll also be taking the Vikings to win this one straight up.

Houston Texans 13 Minnesota Vikings 23