There's a lot of optimism and anticipation surrounding the new-look Houston Texans under new head coach DeMeco Ryans following the 2023 NFL Draft. Below, we continue our NFL odds series with a breakdown of the most intriguing betting season specials for the Texans ahead of rookie minicamp and the NFL schedule release.
Here are the NFL odds for the Texans' season specials, courtesy of FanDuel
NFL Odds: Houston Texans Season Specials
Will Anderson To Record 10+ Sacks in the Regular Season: +200
Houston Texans to sweep Indianapolis Colts in the Regular Season: +250
Houston Texans to score 1+ Touchdown in every Regular Season Game: +500
CJ Stroud To Throw 30+ Passing Touchdowns in the Regular Season: +800
Houston Texans to score 1+ Passing Touchdown in every Regular Season Game: +10000
Will Anderson To Record 10+ Sacks
Houston gave up a lot in the stunning trade for Anderson, but at the end of the day, head coach DeMeco Ryans got his guy. The Texans wanted to change the culture and come out of the draft with two new faces of the franchise as they enter a new era.
Nicknamed “The Terminator,” Anderson should be instrumental in overhauling a Texans defense that tied for 18th in sacks (39) and surrendered the most rushing yards in the league and the second-most rushing touchdowns last season.
The favorite to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year, Anderson is a wrecking ball as a run defender with eye-popping production as a pass rusher. He’s a strong, athletic, and instinctive edge-setter with excellent body control, torque, and closing burst.
But can Anderson really rack up double-digit sacks as a rookie? He's certainly capable of hitting the mark, but it's worth noting very few rookies actually hit that milestone. Last year's No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker, recorded just 3.5 sacks while playing 62.3 percent of the Jaguars' snaps, though he was much more of a work-in-progress as a pass rusher entering the draft.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, the No. 5 overall pick, generated plenty of pressures but finished with just four sacks for the Giants. Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick, finished with 9.5 sacks for the Lions.
Texans To Sweep Colts in Regular Season
After tying 20-20 in last year's season opener, the Texans infamously beat the Colts 32-31 in the season finale, as Lovie Smith gave his parting gift to the Bears, who were able to get a massive haul from the Panthers for the No. 1 overall pick.
Both teams entered the offseason in clear rebuilds with new coaches, new coordinators, and bottom-five rosters. And both teams fixed some holes with some relatively savvy signings in free agency before knocking it out of the park in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis had an underrated class, securing two of my favorite day-two prospects in CB Julius Brents and DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, along with their desired target in boom-or-bust quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is tailor-made for Shane Steichen's system. Cornerback Darius Rush and slot receiver Josh Downs also stood out as strong value picks.
Houston also put all of its chips on the table with an aggressive, talent-rich draft class that addressed several key positions of need. The Texans were also clearly looking for more leadership, as eight of their nine picks were team captains in college.
The last time the Texans swept the Colts was in 2016. But they can definitely do it again this year.
Texans to Score 1+ TD in Every Regular Season Game
The Texans accomplished this feat in all but two games last year (a Week 2 loss at Denver and Week 17 blowout loss to Jacksonville) with Lovie Smith on the headset and Davis Mills (and Kyle Allen) leading the offense.
With a significantly easier schedule and a new offense with much more talent at their disposal, there's a very strong chance the Texans can hit this touchdown threshold. At least on paper, their biggest obstacles would be road tests against the Jets, Bengals, and Ravens. We'll know when they face each team when the schedule's released next week.
CJ Stroud To Throw 30+ Passing Touchdowns
C.J. Stroud actually recruited teammate and third-round receiver Tank Dell to the new-look Texans, showcasing one of the elite traits—his leadership—that made him worth the investment as the No. 2 overall pick.
Stroud is also the best pure pocket passer from this year’s class. Despite the narrative about his S2 cognitive test score and his perceived issues under pressure, he boasts an impressive football IQ and has a massive catalog of accurate passes under pressure.
Drawing comparisons to the likes of Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, and Joe Burrow, Stroud is a pro-ready prospect with the desired size, arm strength, pocket movement, and pinpoint ball placement to be a true franchise quarterback.
Playing in a weak division and facing a soft schedule will certainly help his chances. But his odds still aren't the best here, given that only four quarterbacks (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Geno Smith) hit this milestone last season. And all of them were throwing to at least one receiver that's already an established superstar.
Texans To Score 1+ Passing Touchdown in Every Game
This one's clearly a long shot, at least on paper, as evidenced by the massive +10000 odds.
But the Texans were only four games short of hitting this mark last year while facing a much more daunting schedule and being led by the aforementioned Lovie Smith and Davis Mills.
Since then, the team has fortified its offense with significant upgrades, including the additions of veteran guard Shaq Mason, second-round center Juice Scruggs (who replaces Scott Quessenberry, one of the NFL's worst starting centers in recent memory), and standout free agent tight end Dalton Schultz.
Moreover, free agent running back Devin Singletary adds solid depth and play-making ability behind starter Dameon Pierce, and veteran receivers Robert Woods and Noah Brown offer nice depth, competition, and mentorship for Nico Collins, rookie Tank Dell and second-year receiver John Metchie, who returns healthy after beating cancer.
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