Texans vs. Panthers Prediction, Pick, Odds: Can Bryce Young Outperform C.J. Stroud in Rookie Matchup?
The Texans and Panthers are both coming off a bye week and play each other in NFL Week 8. Can Bryce Young outperform C.J. Stroud in this rookie matchup? Jason Radowitz provides his Texans vs. Panthers pick.
Jason Radowitz - October 26, 2023, 10:11 AM EDT
5 minTexans vs. Panthers Prediction, Pick, Odds: Can Bryce Young Outperform C.J. Stroud in Rookie Matchup?
The Texans and Panthers are both coming off a bye week.
The Texans stayed loose while the Panthers made changes to their coaching staff.
Nobody was fired. However, the Panthers' head coach, Frank Reich, decided to hand over play calling duties to Thomas Brown. Brown was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Panthers this season. However, Reich, as the head coach, was still calling the plays.
But after an 0-6 start, the Panthers went with the change during the bye week to give Bryce Young and Thomas Brown more opportunity to figure out their new identity on offense.
Don't expect a ton of different play calls. But there will be some wrinkles and differences from a couple of weeks ago. Can Brown help Young and the Panthers earn their first win of the season?
Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Sunday's game between the Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers.
Texans vs. Panthers Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: October 29, 2023
- Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: FOX
Texans vs. Panthers Odds
- Spread: Texans -3 (-110), Panthers +3 (-110)
- Total Odds: O/U 43 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Texans (-155), Panthers (+130)
Texans vs. Panthers Injury Report
Texans
Questionable: WR Tank Dell (Concussion)
Out: S Eric Murray (Knee), DT Hassan Ridgeway (Calf), CB Derek Stingley Jr. (Hamstring)
Panthers
Questionable: G Austin Corbett (Knee), RB Miles Sanders (Shoulder)
Out: TE Giovanni Ricci (Shoulder), S Jeremy Chinn (Quadricep), LB Yetur Gross-Matos (Hamstring)
Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers Prediction
The Carolina Panthers have earned only 320.5 yards per game on offense this year. But after a full two-week reset, the Panthers should perform at a better rate with Thomas Brown calling the plays. The Panthers need that spark. Brown could give it to them. It can't be any worse than the first six weeks of Reich calling plays. Bryce Young has thrown for six touchdowns and four interceptions. That's not terrible for a rookie. He'll cumulate over 1,000 yards this week and already has a great connection with Adam Thielen. Thielen has secured 509 yards receiving with four touchdowns on 49 catches. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders could return to the field this week. A tandem of Sanders and Chubba Hubbard isn't so bad at the running back position. Especially with the Texans allowing 108.5 yards per game on the ground this season. The number doesn't look that bad. However, the Texans have struggled against the run this season. They've also missed plenty of tackles to begin the year. The Panthers will commit to the run and open up the passing game against the Texans. On the other hand, rookie C.J. Stroud looks like he's been in the league for multiple years. He's thrown nine touchdowns and one interception while throwing for 1,660 yards on the year. Stroud has more players around him than Young. That's apparent. He's also playing behind a better offensive line. His favorite target has been Nico Collins, who has added 547 yards on 29 catches. Compare Collins to Carolina's Thielen. Collins has 20 fewer catches but nearly 40 more receiving yards than Thielen. That means that Houston is making a lot of big plays down the field. That should continue against Carolina's passing defense. Sure, the Panthers can rush the passer. But the secondary is average at best. Just like the Texans, the Panthers are missing countless tackles and aren't that great against the run. With that said, I'll side with the Over 43. It'll be fun when the two top rookie quarterbacks are dueling it out on Sunday.
Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers Pick
- Over 43 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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