Houston Texans vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Picks, Odds, Week 16 Predictions 12/21/2019

Game: Houston Texans vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Date: Saturday, December 21, 2019

Week 16

Location: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay +1

Total/Over-Under: 53

Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans are headed to Raymond James Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The odds on this matchup have Houston as 1-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 53. The Texans are 9-5-0 ATS and 6-8-0 when betting on the total. The Buccaneers are 11-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 7-7-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Houston Texans played the Tennessee Titans and earned the win by a score of 24-21. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Texans was Deshaun Watson who went 19/27 with 243 yards passing and threw 2 TD's. He walked away with 2 picks on the day. Carlos Hyde led the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 11 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He racked up a total of 104 yards via 26 carries which gave him an average of 4.0 yards per carry. DeAndre Hopkins led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 119 yards on 6 receptions. He averaged 19.8 yards per catch for the game. The Houston Texans ended up rushing 35 times and racked up 140 yards which gave them an average of 4.0 yards per rush. Overall, the Texans totaled 23 first downs and they had a total of 5 penalties for 27 yards. Overall, they finished with a total of 63 plays which gave them a total of 374 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Houston allowed 22 completions on 37 tries for a total of 269 yards, and a completion percentage of 59.0%. Overall, they allowed a total of 432 yards and forced 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Texans allowed 163 yards on 28 attempts which is an average of 5.8 yards per carry allowed. Another prediction you may want to look into is the free pick against the spread from Josh Schonwald on the Giants vs Redskins contest.

The Texans head into this matchup 9-5 in 2019. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the league with an average of 24 points per contest, which has them at 10th in the NFL. As a unit, they have an average of 131 rushing yards per game which is 3rd in the conference. For total yardage, they sit in 3rd in the AFC and 7th in the NFL with 5,262 yards. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, the Texans currently have a total of 27 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing TDs. They are a team that has the capability to score points among AFC South teams and I wouldn't expect things to change too much in this game.

The Texans have one of the average defenses in the league, giving up 23.6 points per contest putting them 11th in the conference. When talking about rushing yards, Houston is allowing 113.3 yards per game putting them 3rd in the division and 19th in the league. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.6 yards per carry ranking them 12th among AFC teams and 24th in the league overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,832 rushing yards through 14 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Texans have allowed 3,725 yards. Teams are completing 65.0% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.8 yards per try. They have allowed 30 passing touchdowns and 8 rushing TDs.

In their last contest, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went up against the Detroit Lions and won 38-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Buccaneers was Jameis Winston who went 28/42 with 458 yards passing and tossed 4 TD's. He tossed 1 pick during the game. Ronald Jones II led the team in rushing during the game. He broke a long run for 6 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He scurried for 23 yards via 11 carries which meant he averaged 2.1 yards per carry. Chris Godwin was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 121 yards on 5 receptions. He earned an average of 24.2 yards per reception during the game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended up rushing 29 times and racked up a total of 49 yards which gave them an average of 1.7 yards per rush. In all, they finished with a total of 73 plays which gave them a total of 495 yards. Overall, the Buccaneers totaled 23 first downs and they had a total of 9 penalties for 70 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Tampa Bay gave up 24 completions on 43 tries for a total of 250 yards, and a completion percentage of 56.0%. Against the run, the Buccaneers gave up 45 yards on 18 carries which gave them an average of 2.5 yards per run allowed. On the day, they allowed a total of 295 yards and forced 3 takeaways. Tony Sink has a free NFL pick ATS for the game between the Cowboys and Eagles.

The Buccaneers come into this game with a record of 7-7. Tampa Bay hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 91 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 28th in the NFL. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,279 rushing yards through 14 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Buccaneers average 400 yards per game overall which has them at 3rd among NFL teams and 2nd in the NFC. In discussing their scoring prowess, the Buccaneers sit in 1st among NFC South teams and 3rd out of all the teams in the league averaging 29.7 points per game.

The Buccaneers are allowing 28.4 points per contest which puts them at 4th among NFC South teams and 30th in the NFL. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road groups in the league. They are conceding 277 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Buccaneers are currently ranked 14th in the conference. They have allowed 29 passing touchdowns for the 2019 season. In terms of points given up, they have given up 398 points in total. When it comes to rushing yards, they are giving up 73 yards per contest which puts them at 1st in the league and 1st among NFC South teams. For this year, they have conceded 1,026 yards rushing and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Texans/Buccaneers NFL game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Texans -1

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