The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go on the road to play C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans on Sunday. It is a must-win for the Buccaneers, who have lost three straight games but are only one game behind the Falcons and Saints for first place in the AFC South.
As for the Texans, they are coming off a disappointing 15-13 road loss to the Carolina Panthers last week.
Can the veteran-led Buccaneers hand Stroud another loss? Or will the rookie QB bounce back at home? Below, we’ll break down this Week 9 matchup and give our prediction using odds from DraftKings.
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Buccaneers vs. Texans Odds, Spread and Total
Buccaneers vs. Texans Betting Trends
- Buccaneers are 5-10 ATS in their last 15 games
- The UNDER is 9-2 in Tampa Bay’s last 11 road games
- Texans are 0-5 ATS in their last five games as the favorite
- Houston is 1-13 straight up in their past 14 games vs. NFC teams
Buccaneers vs. Texans Injury Reports
Buccaneers Injury Report
- Baker Mayfield - QB - Questionable
- Matt Feiler - G - Questionable
- Kaevon Merriweather - S - Questionable
- Vita Vea - DT - Questionable
Texans Injury Report
- Teagan Quitoriano - TE - Questionable
- Jarrett Patterson - C - Doubtful
- Sheldon Rankins - DT - Questionable
- Robert Woods - WR - Doubtful
- Brevin Jordan - TE - Questionable
Buccaneers vs. Texans How to Watch
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 5
- Game Time: 1 p.m. EST
- Venue: NRG Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): CBS
- Buccaneers Record: 3-4
- Texans Record: 3-4
Buccaneers vs. Texans Key Players to Watch
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin: Mike Evans gets most of the attention in the Bucs’ wide receiver room, but don’t forget Godwin. The veteran wide receiver is guaranteed to have at least five catches a game and is a perfect complement to Evans. The former Penn State wideout posted five receptions (seven targets) for 54 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss to the Bills. The Buccaneers will need another solid performance from Godwin, especially if they want to snap their losing streak.
Houston Texans
Tank Dell: The rookie wide receiver started the regular season on fire, with 15 receptions for 251 yards and two touchdowns. However, the young wideout has come back to the earth over the last few weeks, recording seven receptions for 89 yards. Heading into this week’s game, we have to believe Stroud will be looking for Dell to make a big play against Tampa Bay’s defense, which allows 256 yards per game (fifth-most in the NFL) this season.
Buccaneers vs. Texans Prediction and Pick
Tampa Bay has had a couple of tough losses lately, losing by three at home to the Falcons in Week 7 and by 14 at home to the Lions.
If it wants to come out on top, it starts with Baker Mayfield and the offense, which is only scoring 12.3 points per game over their last three games.
At the same time, the Texans’ defense has only allowed 16.3 points per game in their last three games.
First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans has his guys playing at a high level, which is an excellent sign heading into Sunday. This game can go either way between these two 3-4 teams, so I’ll take the UNDER.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change