There are a lot of things going through Deshaun Watson's mind right now as he tries to deal with a controversial series of lawsuits. One of the last things he probably would like to hear is Vegas sportsbooks thinking that his Houston Texans team will be among the biggest losers in the 2021 NFL season.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Texans, along with the Detroit Lions, have been deemed underdogs in all 17 of their games in the coming season.
The early line for every NFL regular season game has been set at @SuperBookSports and sent via @BFawkes22.
Two teams – the Lions and Texans – are underdogs in every game right now.
The Chiefs are favorites in 16 games (and a Pick ‘Em at Baltimore in Week 2), most in the NFL.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 18, 2021
The betting public clearly doesn't have so much confidence in the Texans at the moment. There are not a lot of positive narratives going for them. Take for example the fact that within just a year, Houston had seen two of its biggest stars pack their bags and leave the team. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in March 2020 and then longtime franchise player J.J. Watt parted ways with the Texans in February.
On top of those, the Texans are coming off a year in which they won just four games after back-to-back seasons of winning the AFC South.
But perhaps the most telling factor of them all is Watson's reported disconnect with Houston's management, which could eventually lead to a trade down the road. Plus, with his legal issues, who knows if Watson even suits up this season.
It's not like the Texans also have a particularly deadly schedule ahead of them, as their current strength of schedule is only ranked 15th in the NFL. But wins should be harder to come by for Houston if it ships Watson and gets left with the pair of Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Finley under center.
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