NFL Week 2: Texans Face Bengals as Underdogs in Betting Odds

Losing the opening game of the NFL season is not a total disaster, unless of course the manner in which you lose is particularly disturbing. There were several losing teams in Week 1 who can look at their performance and still feel good about the road ahead this season, and then there are some who have reason to be legitimately concerned. Two of the teams who fall into that latter category will be going head to head this weekend in NFL Week 2, with the Houston Texans going on the road to play the Cincinnati Bengals. Both of these teams put in less than spectacular efforts last weekend, and you get the sense that a loss this week could be the start of a downward trend that is going to be tough to pull out of. The Houston Texans will have a decision to make at QB, and at the time of writing, they have still not announced who will be getting the start. The Cincinnati Bengals made far too many errors in Week 1 versus the Ravens, and will be looking to put their first points of the season on the board in front of their own fans. The NFL odds for the Texans vs. Bengals matchup favors Cincinnati to take the win, but much can change on Thursday night.

Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals NFL Week 2 Odds, Prediction & Pick

When: Thursday, September 14 at 8:25 PM EST Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati TV: NFL Network Radio: KILT 610AM (Houston) / 1530 AM (Cincinnati) NFL Week 2 Odds: Cincinnati Bengals -5 (-110)

Why Bet on the Houston Texans at +5?

There was a lot of emotion on display prior to the start of the Houston Texans opener last weekend, with JJ Watt leading out his team, carrying a huge Texas flag and getting everyone fired up after the destruction that Hurricane Harvey brought to the city. It was a feel good moment for everyone watching, and the sense was that the Texans would ride an emotional high on their way to an opening week win. It did not play out that way, though, as starting QB Tom Savage failing to make an impact before becoming a replacement and adding rookie DeShaun Watson. While he certainly looked like the better option, the damage has already been done, as the Jacksonville Jaguars were up by 19 points at the time of the switch. The Texans now have a big decision to make ahead of this weekend, and I would be surprised if Watson were not the man under center. The good news for the Texans is that they have won their last two meetings against the Bengals. Houston are a 5-point dog for this one, and while they are 1-5 ATS in their last 6, they are 7-2 ATS versus the Bengals in their last 9 meetings.

NFL Week 2 Betting Trends

•  1-5 ATS in its last 6 NFL games
• Total went UNDER in 6 of Houston Texans’ last 9 games
• 1-4 ATS in its last 5 NFL games on the road
• 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
• 7-2 ATS in its last 9 NFL games when playing Cincinnati

NFL Odds & Predictions for Every Game in Week 2

Why Bet on the Cincinnati Bengals at -5?

The Cincinnati Bengals had the rather unpleasant distinction of being the only team in the NFL to not record a single point in Week 1. They were blanked by the Ravens, and while the Baltimore defense certainly looked like the real deal, the reality is that the Bengals shot themselves in the foot far too many time. The main culprit here was QB Andy Dalton, who threw 4 INT’s during the course of the game. He and his offense are going to need to make a dramatic improvement if the Bengals are to be in any way competitive this year. The Bengals have not been very good against the Texans, losing 7 of their last 8 meetings, including the last two. The last 6 home games for Cincinnati have resulted in a 2-4 ATS record, and it has been the UNDER that has been the most common result for this group.

NFL Week 2 Betting Trends

• 4-2 ATS in its last 6 NFL games
• 6-11-2 ATS in its last 19 games
• 3-6-1 SU in its last 10 NFL games
• Total has went UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati Bengals’ last 5 games
• 2-4 ATS in its last 6 NFL games at home

Series History

• Total Meetings: 11
• First Meeting: November 3rd, 2002. Reliant Stadium. Houston, Texas
• Last Meeting: December 24th, 2016. NRG Stadium. Houston, Texas
• All-Time Series: Houston 7-4-0
• Largest Margin of Victory: Cincinnati 38-3 (2002)
• Longest Win Streak: Houston 5 (2008-2013)
• Current Win Streak: Houston 2 (2015-2016)

Expert NFL Week 2 Pick and Final Score Prediction

Given how these two teams stated the season, the UNDER 38 looks like the obvious play here. The last 3 meetings between these two teams have fallen well under that mark. As far as things go straight up, I believe that he Texans will find a way to get the win. NFL Week 2 Pick: Houston Texans 17 Cincinnati Bengals 10