PREMIUM
Take #462 Texans over Bucs
(NFL) Tampa Bay vs. Houston,
Money Line: -150.00 Houston (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -150.00 Houston (Home)
Result: Win
Sunday's matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and host Houston Texans is a tale of two teams with the same 3-4 record but vastly different postseason prospects. Despite losing three in a row, Tampa Bay resides in the NFC South, where front-running Atlanta is only a half-game ahead at 4-4 and has made a quarterback change. The Texans are 2 1/2 games behind streaking Jacksonville in the AFC South. The Buccaneers' position might have influenced their thinking when New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas came calling with a trade proposal involving their top wide receiver, Mike Evans. Playing his 10th season, Evans is on his way to his 10th 1,000-yard season with 507 yards on 33 receptions. Evans is in the final year of his contract and could test free agency for the first time but has made it clear he'd like to stay with the only organization he's known. The same could be said for Houston, which missed a chance to get over the .500 mark last week with a 15-13 loss at previously winless Carolina. The Texans managed only 229 total yards against a team ranked 30th in the NFL in scoring defense at more than 28 ppg. That's part of a recent trend for Houston, which after averaging 24 points and 368.5 yards per game in the first four games has regressed to 17.3 ppg and 279.7 yards per game in the past three games. We like Houston here. Let's roll with the Texans here Sunday.