The Detroit Lions (7-1) will return to primetime in Week 10 on Sunday Night Football as they head on the road to face the Houston Texans (6-3). This will be a showdown between the top teams from each of the NFL’s two conferences, with both harboring Super Bowl aspirations.
The Lions haven’t lost a game since Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, they’ve largely dominated their opponents, looking like arguably the best team in the NFL. They even handled their NFC North rival last weekend, defeating the Green Bay Packers by 10 points at Lambeau Field.
Meanwhile, the Texans were upset in their Thursday Night Football game against the New York Jets, marking their second loss in the last three games. It will be interesting to see how the extra rest affects Houston as they prepare to face Detroit.
Dan Campbell and his Lions have already shown this season that they can win anywhere—home or away. So playing away from Ford Field likely won’t be much of a factor. Detroit will look to keep rolling, so with that said, let’s dive into bold predictions for the Lions versus the Texans in Week 10.
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Jared Goff maintains leagues best completion percentage, throws for a touchdown, 210 yards
In last week's win against the Packers, Jared Goff once again displayed his impressive accuracy. Even more notable, it was the fifth game this season in which Goff completed exactly 18 passes, helping him maintain his league-leading completion percentage of 74.9%.
However, it’s worth noting that the Texans’ defense ranks first in the league in opponents’ completion percentage, holding teams to just 54.8%. The Lions offense is one of the best in the league, and as we know, it doesn’t rely solely on Goff’s passing. Their running game has taken over on multiple occasions this season. Despite the Texans' defensive strength, Goff is likely to have a productive day, maintaining his league-leading completion percentage and adding at least one touchdown pass. Not to mention keep his name alive in the MVP race.
Lions defense sacks CJ Stroud four times
The Lions have be able to handle the season-ending injury to second-year edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson much better than expected. However, they did make a move before the trade deadline, acquiring Za’Darius Smith from the Browns. Though it's likely he could see little to no playing time against the Texans, the Lions will still get back to their pass rush in Week 11.
Last week was the only time this season the Lions failed to record a single sack. Meanwhile, the Texans’ offensive line is coming off its worst performance of the season, allowing CJ Stroud to be sacked a season-high eight times against the Jets. The Lions could be feasting come Sunday night—we’ll say they rack up at least four sacks.
Lions rush for at least 120 yards, score two touchdowns
Don’t expect the Lions and their sixth-ranked rushing offense to slow down in Week 10 against the Texans. Detroit is averaging an impressive 152.6 yards per game with 14 rushing touchdowns. Thanks to Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, the Lions’ lowest rushing total in a game this season is 116 yards, and they’ve scored two or more rushing touchdowns in five games.
Not to mention, Gibbs has five rushes of 20 or more yards, tying him for sixth in the NFL. Make no mistake, the Lions will do damage on the ground as they always do behind that impressive offensive line.
Lions win seventh straight, beating Texans by more than a field goal, covering spread
The spread on this one has the Texans as a 3.5-point underdog at home, which says a lot about the strength of this Lions team. Houston should still put up a fight on their home turf as they look to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since Weeks 1 and 2 of last season.
Even against a rested team, this Lions squad feels like it’s on the verge of something great and stands among the elite in the NFC. Sure, there might be some struggle against Houston’s pass rush and their No. 2-ranked pass defense, which could keep things close. In the end, though, the Lions pull out a win by more than a field goal, keeping their impressive streak intact.
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