Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction: Do CJ Stroud, Texans Have Edge in Divisional Round?
CJ Stroud has been one of the most impressive rookies in the NFL this season, but he and the Texans have their work cut out for them on the road against the AFC's No. 1 seeded Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Who has the edge in this divisional round matchup? Let's break it down.
Joey Ruiz - January 20, 2024, 9:33 AM EST
5 minHouston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction: Do CJ Stroud, Texans Have Edge in Divisional Round?
In the Houston Texans' Wild Card matchup, they were in a back-and-forth game with the Cleveland Browns in the first half before the defense helped them pull away in the third quarter. Joe Flacco threw back-to-back pick sixes in the third which ultimately put the game away as the Texans outscored the Browns 21-0 in the second half and actually scored 35 unanswered points from the second quarter on in route to a 45-14 victory.
Texans vs. Ravens Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: January 20, 2024
- Game Time: 4:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN & ABC
Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens Prediction
While the Texans offense was not responsible for all 45 points, they were still able to score 31 on the vaunted Browns defense while putting up 356 total yards. CJ Stroud completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns without a single turnover as he turned in a hell of a performance for his first ever playoff start.
Things do not get much easier for Stroud and the Texans as they now have to face another AFC North juggernaut. The Baltimore Ravens had an excellent season as they enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a record of 13-4 and were 6-3 at home. The Ravens rested most of their key starters in their last regular season game against Pittsburgh, but they will be without starting cornerback, Marlon Humphrey, which is a huge blow to their secondary.
I fully expect CJ Stroud to take advantage of this and think he is poised for a big game. The Texans are also the hottest team in the playoffs at the moment as they needed a win over the Colts in the final week of the regular season to get into the playoffs, and they got it done. The Jags loss ended up clinching the division for the Texans and they also took advantage of that opportunity by blowing out the Browns at home as three-point underdogs, in a game where the public was heavily on the Browns. DeMeco Ryans has this Texans squad fully bought in and they have their fearless leader in CJ Stroud to lead them.
The momentum that the Texans have right now is legit and these are two totally different teams than when they met in the first game of the NFL season where the Ravens defeated the Texans by a score of 25-9, covering the 9.5-point spread, which ironically is the same spread for this AFC Divisional game. In that week 1 matchup, the Texans actually outgained the Ravens 268 to 265 and won the turnover battle 2-1 so the final score of that Week 1 game does not indicate how close or lopsided the game actually was.
There are also valid questions about whether Lamar Jackson can get the job done in the playoffs and until he does, I do not believe I can trust him, and this Ravens team to cover such a big spread against a red-hot Texans team. With that being said, I am rolling with Texans +9.5 at -105 for 2U as my most confident NFL Play of the Day for today's action as I think Houston can keep this game close and potentially pull the upset and win the game straight up.
A prop that I am playing for this game though is Gus Edwards Anytime TD at +135 for 1U. Edwards is the goal line back for this Ravens squad who has already amassed 13 rushing touchdowns on the season. If the Ravens get into a goal to go situation, Edwards should see ample carries to punch one in.
Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens Picks
2U Texans +9.5 -105 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
1U Gus Edwards Anytime TD +135 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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