NFL Division Playoffs Pick

NFL Betting Game Trends

Game Overview

It was not pretty, but Houston got back to its winning ways with a 19-13 victory over Cincinnati as a four-point home favorite in last Saturday’s Wildcard Round. The Texans reeled-off 11 wins in their first 12 games, but stumbled down the stretch with a 1-3 record in their last four. One of those losses was a 42-14 pasting against New England as 5.5-point road underdogs. They went 9-7 against the spread this season and 4-4 ATS on the road. The total has now stayed UNDER in five of their last six games.

If the Texans are going to have any shot in this contest as prohibitive underdogs on the road, they will need a big effort from a defense that was torched by the Patriots in the first meeting this season. While having Arian Foster running the ball is a major plus, Houston quarterback Matt Schaub is still going to have to come up with some big plays to help put points on the board. The offense will not have the luxury of settling for field goals like it did against the Bengals.

New England had last week off after securing the No.2 seed in the AFC with an overall record of 12-4 SU (9-7 ATS). It went 6-2 SU and home this season and 4-4 ATS with the total staying UNDER in three of its last five games overall. The Patriots quickly overcame an unexpected 3-3 start with nine victories in their next 10 games. They have won five of those games by a double-digit margin. The offense averaged 34.8 points a game, which happens to be the highest total in the NFL.

Everyone is well aware of what Tom Brady brings to the table, especially this time of year. He posted another banner season with 4,827 passing yards and 34 touchdowns and remains poised to pick-up where he left off. As an added bonus, he will have all of his favorite targets back in the lineup for Sunday’s game. The real difference-maker in this game could be New England’s defense. It was once again ranked near the bottom of the league in total yards allowed, but ninth in points allowed which is all that really matters.

Prediction

Ever since last season’s loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots have been focused strictly on one goal; making things right this time around. This game is just the first step to getting it done, so you can rest assured that it will not remain close for long. New England 28 Houston 17