Currently sitting as the sixth seed in the NFC Playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers know that this week is a pivotal week for them. With a win over the lowly Houston Texans, they can all but clinch a playoff spot.
They don’t want to have to rely on the Saints losing to get in. They also have a date with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, so they don’t want to be in a must-win situation.
If they take care of business this week, they know that they are all but in the NFC playoffs. Let’s check out our NFL Betting analysis for the upcoming match between the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.
NFL Betting Preview for Houston Texans at San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers Analysis
Levi’s Stadium will host this Sunday’s game as the Texans will head to the West Coast. There will be some uncertainty surrounding this game, as we’re not sure who will be under center for the San Francisco 49ers.
Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a thumb injury in last week’s game and has been diagnosed with a bone fracture and a torn UCL.
The Niners have listed his status as day-to-day, but it is unlikely that Garoppolo will see action on Sunday. Rookie first-round pick Trey Lance has been taking snaps as the starter all week. If Lance starts, this will be his first start since Week 5.
He has only taken five snaps in a game since then, but of all weeks to get Lance back in there, this is a good one as Houston’s defense is one of the worst in the league.
Houston Texans Analysis
As for the Houston Texans, after dealing with numerous issues this offseason and getting off to a horrible start to the season, they have come on strong as of late. After beating Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Texans stunned the Los Angeles Chargers in a 41-29 victory. The heavily favored Chargers are now playing for their playoff lives.
A bright spot for the Houston Texans has been the recent play of rookie quarterback Davis Mills. In their last three games, Mills has thrown for nearly 800 yards with five touchdowns and just one interception.
Mills is auditioning for the starting job next season as the status of Deshaun Watson is still in limbo. If Mills can prove to the Texans that he is worthy of a starting slot, they may be more apt to deal Watson in the offseason.
Prediction
The oddsmakers think that Houston’s poor defense won’t be able to stop the Niners, as they’ve made San Francisco a 13-point favorite.
While Houston’s defense is poor and their offense has been very suspect, they have played better lately. Mills hasn’t played against a defense the caliber of San Francisco’s lately, so they could slow down the hot rookie.
In looking at the betting numbers, both teams are 7-8 against the spread this season. San Francisco has covered in five of their last seven games, so they have that going for them.
We think that the Niners will win this one, but the question is, by how much? Will Trey Lance be ready for the spotlight, or will he play like a rookie? San Francisco wins this one 28-14 and barely covers the spread.
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