The NFL is finally back! On Sunday, September 9th, 2018 the NFL season will formally kick off for 30 teams. Among those playing on the early slate of 1:00 PM games are the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots. The defending AFC Champion New England will curate the hosting duties when the Texans travel to Foxboro, Massachusetts to take on the Pats at Gillette Stadium. Presently, the Patriots have won the last seven meetings between both sides dating back to 2017. Over this span, New England has gone 5-2 ATS. Last year, the two teams met in Foxboro on September 24th where the Patriots closed as a 13.5-point choice. Houston had the then-defending Super Bowl Champions on the ropes until late heroics by Tom Brady resulted in New England escaping 36-33.
Houston Texans at New England Patriots Game Overview
Houston Texans
The Texans come in off a 4-12 season in 2017, but there should be an asterisk placed next to their name. This is because Houston suffered some critical injuries to key players and personnel that ultimately steered the team onto the rocks. Most notably, all-star Defensive End J.J. Watt and quarterback DeShaun Watson who had he continued to play at the level he had previous to tearing his ACL would have likely been Rookie of the Year.
New England Patriots
The Patriots come in off a loss in 41-33 loss in Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles. The victory for the Eagles marked the first Super Bowl win in franchise history and also cited the tenth appearance by the Patriots in the Super Bowl. This record is the most by any team in NFL history. The Patriots return this season with the prolific combination of Head Coach Bill Belichick and Quarterback Tom Brady at the helm. As usual, the Patriots made the most of their draft and signed up some exceptional talent in the 2018 NFL Draft, including offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, running back Sony Michel, and cornerback Duke Dawson.
Reasons To Back Houston
Very simply, this number is playing off of how Houston fared last season. However, this is a much better team than the 2017 edition. A fully healthy J.J. Watt and DeShaun Watson will have an instrumental influence on both sides of the ball for the Texans. With both these players on the field, the Texans transform into a playoff team. Coupling this with the fact that the Texans want to atone for what occurred here last year, the incentive to win has never been riper.
Reasons To Avoid New England
When you “back” New England in general, you pay a premium to do so. When you do this when the Pats are at home, the amount of lumber to lay is that much greater. The fact remains, New England’s defense did not have an answer for Watson and company last year when the two met. When you consider the Patriots are giving away nearly a touchdown, takers are set up for a considerable overlay here.
Get more details: Houston at New England NFL Match-Up
