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The long wait is over! Week 1 of the NFL season is here as the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens will clash on the football field for a chance to go 1-0. Join us for our NFL odds series, where our Texans-Ravens prediction and pick will be revealed.
It is safe to say that the Houston Texans are in full rebuild mode after going 3-13-1 in 2022, but they at least were able to achieve a high pick in this year's NFL Draft and are hopeful that they found their quarterback of the future by selecting Ohio State field general C.J. Stroud. Officially, a new era has arrived in Houston… will the Texans show improvement from a year ago?
After a retooling of their receiving corps and a new offensive coordinator running the show, the contract dispute drama between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson also finally came to an end. Indeed, Baltimore fans can breathe a sigh of relief after Jackson agreed to a massive five-year deal extension worth a whopping $260 million dollars. Truly, Lamar is here to stay, and is now fully healthy, do the Ravens have what it takes to make a deep postseason run?
Here are the Texans-Ravens NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Texans-Ravens Odds
Houston Texans: +10 (-115)
Baltimore Ravens: -10 (-105)
Over: 43.5 (-118)
Under: 43.5 (-104)
How to Watch Texans vs. Ravens Week 1
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Time: 1:00 ET/10:00 PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Texans Could Cover The Spread
Entering play as immense double-digit underdogs in the spread, the main thing that the Texans have going for themselves is that they have nothing to lose. With only three victories from last season, Houston fans know that clinching a playoff berth is a long shot, but finding improvement on the football field certainly is not.
If Houston is going to keep this one close, then scoring will need to be at a premium. Luckily, one of the main weaknesses on the Ravens' defense is their secondary heading into this fall with the departures of Marcus Peters and Chuck Clark while Marlon Humphrey is expected to miss the opener after undergoing foot surgery in mid-August. The odds will be stacked against rookie QB C.J. Stroud in his first-ever start at the professional level, but there is a chance that there are some open windows to throw into for the former Buckeye standout to go out and shock the NFL world.
Furthermore, it isn't a sure thing that the Texans' defense is going to get stops, so dominating the time of possession and pounding the rock down the throats of the Ravens' front seven with last year's phenom halfback Dameon Pierce could be the key in covering the spread.
Why The Ravens Could Cover The Spread
Clearly, the biggest hurdles that the Ravens have had to deal with over the past couple of seasons were a plethora of injuries and a lack of receiving targets for Lamar Jackson. Heading into the 2023 season, it appears that both of these obstacles are in the rearview mirror.
Without explosiveness and moxie in that receiving room, Baltimore decided to sign wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and also went out and drafted the talented Zay Flowers in the first round. Facing a questionable Houston secondary, this could be the first opportunity to see a new-look passing attack feast under recently hired offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Not only does Monken tend to call a balanced offense, but it is expected that he will be giving more free reign and input on what the offense will look like. If Lamar gets in a rhythm in the passing game, then that will only give him an opportunity to blow the top of the Texans' defense with his legs.
With that being said, don't be alarmed if the Ravens also try to take advantage with the ground game and in the trenches. Last year wasn't too kind to the Texans' rush defense as they surrendered 170 rushing yards per game and had more holes on that defense than Swiss cheese. It will be an absolute must for Baltimore to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball if they have plans to cover the spread.
Final Texans-Ravens Prediction & Pick
In surprising fashion to most, this one will be close early, but this is a tough ask for Houston to go on the road in Week 1 with a rookie QB against a premier AFC squad in Baltimore. At the end of the day, the safe bet here is to side with the Ravens to dominate and take care of business.
Final Texans-Ravens Prediction & Pick: Ravens -10 (-105)
