The Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans will both be looking to bounce back from their respective preseason-opening losses when they meet in their Week 2 NFL preseason clash at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Saturday night. With the Texans looking to reach the AFC playoffs for the second straight season and Detroit looking to get back to respectability in 2019, let’s find out where the best NFL betting value lies in this affair.
Lions vs Texans 2019 NFL Preseason Week 2 Lines, Analysis & Prediction
- When: Saturday August 17, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
- Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
- TV: None
- NFL Preseason Week 2 Odds: Houston -4.5
Weather Forecast
- PM Thunderstorms: 36°C/96°F
- Humidity: 60%
- Precipitation: 50%
- Wind: 7 mph S
- Cloud Cover: 42%
- Type of Stadium: Retractable
Why Bet On Detroit at +4.5?
The Lions got smacked senseless in their embarrassing 31-3 smackdown loss to New England in Week 1 as starting quarterback Matthew Stafford sat out and backups, Tom Savage and David Fales combined to throw for just 102 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while suffering a whopping nine combined sacks.
“Obviously a long night here for us with the game. Not obviously how we wanted it to go,” head coach Matt Patricia said afterward. “We’ve got to do a better job of going out and competing and we’ve got to do a better job of executing in the plays that we need to execute at.”
Defensively, the Lions gave up 326 passing yards and three TD passes while allowing the Patriots to rush for 133 yards and another score.
Why Bet On Houston at -4.5?
Houston put up a great effort but came up just short in their narrow 28-26 Week 1 loss to Green Bay. Still, veteran backup quarterback Joe Webb III looked solid in passing for 286 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as starter Deshaun Watson sat out and second string signal-caller A.J. McCarron missed the game with a thumb injury.
“Joe competed hard,” Houston coach Bill O’Brien said. “Joe’s really what we’re really looking for in a Houston Texan. He’s a smart, tough, dependable guy. He doesn’t get a whole lot of reps at quarterback and he went in there and competed hard.”
Defensively, the Texans limited Green Bay to a modest 237 yards of total offense despite losing.
Lions vs Texans NFL Preseason Week 2 Betting Trends
- Lions are 3-8 SU in the last 11 games
- The total went UNDER in 8 of the Lions’ last 8 games
- Texans are 11-4 SU in the last 15 games
- The total went UNDER in 4 of the Texans’ last 5 games at home
Expert Analysis and Prediction for Lions vs Texans
I’m going to get right to the point with my pick on this Week 2 matchup, simply because I don’t think Detroit has a chance to get the upset in this one. The Lions looked completely and utterly inept in their preseason opener and although starting quarterback Matthew Stafford will see some action in this one, Detroit’s backup quarterback situation looks pretty bleak to me with veteran backups Tom Savage and David Fales both being totally mediocre.
Houston will play starter Deshaun Watson for at least a series or two in this affair and veteran backup Joe Webb looked pretty solid last week. Forget the fact that Detroit is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games and Houston is just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Texans are 12-8 in the preseason under Bill O’Brien and really, they’re just the better team on both sides of the ball. In the end, I expect a better effort from Houston in this Week 2 matchup as the Texans get the win and ATS cover.
Pick: Houston 24 Detroit 14
