Jaguars Cover Against Texans

Texans vs. Jaguars, 1:00 ET

One of these teams is doing a bit better than expected, the other is struggling to play a complete game. The Texans defense has been one of the brighter spots for the season, but they are coming off of a game that they got absolutely rocked in. Jacksonville is playing their best football in a couple of years and have a chance to get over .500 on Sunday.

The Texans started their season with a tie against the Colts. In that game, they were able to get a lead, but ultimately fell apart and didn't win the game. Their most recent loss was at the hands of a Chargers team that needed to beat someone down. This was the first non-one-score game they've played all season. It wasn't a pretty game for the Texans defense, but they kept it close enough after giving up a lot of points in the first half. The offense is doing just enough to stay in games, but can't close the deal when it matters. They had a chance to beat the Bears, but a late interception cost them the game.

The Jaguars are starting to look like a decent team in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence looks more comfortable now than he did at almost any point in his rookie season. Their defense is doing a great job of limiting the opposition. They've played a couple of really good offenses too. Last week they took on the Eagles and were able to give the Jaguars offense a chance to tie the game with a final drive. Unfortunately, Lawrence was sacked and fumbled the ball and game away. For the Jaguars to win this game, they will likely need to control the running game a bit. A lot of this comes from the last game, but the Texans are allowing 172 yards on the ground to opponents.

I think the Jaguars are looking forward to returning home. After two tough road games - one in California and the other in Philadelphia, they probably are going to be happy to see their own beds. The Jaguars have the better offense and defense in this one and are at home. I'm taking them to win this game and cover the spread - I grabbed it at -7, which I'd buy the point down to at this point.

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