The San Francisco 49ers will travel to the Houston Texans for a Thursday night NFL Preseason matchup. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL preseason odds series, which includes our 49ers-Texans prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The San Francisco 49ers are officially entering the Trey Lance era. Even after a 10-7 record and two playoff wins in 2021, management decided that Jimmy Garoppolo is no longer the answer at quarterback.
Houston is coming off a 4-13 season marred by scandal and terrible performances all around. Still, there are interesting aspects here, starting with new head coach Lovie Smith, who appeared in a Super Bowl when he was piloting the Chicago Bears.
Here are the 49ers-Texans NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: 49ers-Texans Odds
San Francisco 49ers: -3.5 (-110)
Houston Texans: +3.5 (-110)
Over: 41.5 (-110)
Under: 41.5 (-110)
Why The 49ers Could Cover The Spread
Trey Lance is part of the new wave of exciting young quarterbacks that can take the league by storm. Lance tossed 5 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions in his six games last season. Lance went 1-1 as a starter. Last year's leading rusher Elijah Mitchell returns after totaling 963 yards on the ground. Deebo Samuel is back, and the jack of all trades will quickly become a favorite of Lance. Samuel totaled 1,770 yards from scrimmage with 14 touchdowns. Brandon Aiyuk is also back after catching 56 passes for 826 yards. Danny Gray, a rookie from SMU is also back, while Jordan Matthews is an interesting sleeper. Matthews has not really been productive since 2016, but had three great seasons to begin his career. There still might be something in there.
As long as Nick Bosa continues to suit up for this team, the defense will be fine. San Fran allowed just 21.5 points per game to opponents last season, thanks in large part to Bosa's 15.5 sacks. Pairing Bosa with rookie Drake Jackson will add to an already fearsome pass rush, which totaled 48 sacks last season. Leading tackler Fred Warner is also back, anchoring a strong linebacker core.
Why The Texans Could Cover The Spread
Almost nothing went right for Houston last season, highlighted by DeShaun Watson's extensive disgusting behavior and subsequent legal troubles. In his absence, Houston managed just 16.5 points per game, the 30th mark in the league. Quarterback duties fell to Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor, who is no longer with the team. Mills is the likely starter for 2022 after tossing 16 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in 13 games and 11 start last season. Last season's lead rusher was Rex Burkhead, but the team addressed the running back position through the draft and free agency this offseason. Brandin Cooks, who led the team with 1,047 receiving yards, is back for this season, a security blanket for Mills. Rookie John Metchie is sadly battling leukemia, and our best wishes are with him and his family in this trying time.
As would be expected from a 4-13 team, Houston's defense was also terrible. The team surrendered 26.6 points per game, ranking 27th in that category across the league. The team registered just 32 sacks, picking up Jerry Hughes to supplement that pass rush. Derek Stingley, the third overall pick in 2022, is the type of game-changing talent that elite secondaries possess. Stingley is likely a day one starter, and should he live up to his promise, can become a legendary defensive back.
Final 49ers-Texans Prediction & Pick
I'd like to announce myself as a firm Trey Lance believer.
Final 49ers-Texans Prediction & Pick: San Francisco -3.5 (-110), under 41.5 (-110)
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