The Jan 15 – Houston Texans against Ravens game has the possibility to be a spectacular and intriguing game from beginning to end, or a severe disappointment. The reason: both squads have looked amazing at times this year and completely awful at others.

NFL betting

The Houston Texans have an excuse for their at times discouraging play, as the squad has been affected by injuries all year. 1st, their all-pro wide obtain Andre Johnson was lost with a hamstring injury. As if this blow to their offense wasn’t significant enough, then they lost their starting quarterback, Matt Schaub. Then they went on to lose their second string quarterback, Matt Leingart, to injury. That put rookie T.J. Yates into the starting role. Although Yates has played wonderfully to date, it’s yet to be determined how he can fare against the vicious Ravens’ defense. The Houston Texans fight through these injuries to a 10-6 record, but limped into the playoffs because they lost their last 3 competitions of the year.

NFL odds

Although the Ravens have looked extraordinary generally this year, they have come up short at mysterious times. After defeating Houston 29-14 earlier in the year, they lost their next game to sad Jacksonville as they played some of the worst type of offensive football displayed by any squad this year. Then, after defeating Pittsburgh 23-20, they lost their following game to Seattle. So, while it would seem Baltimore has the more healthy, more complete squad, that’s supposing the Baltimore who won those huge competitions this year turns up.

Sportsbooks are counting on that. Baltimore is a 7.5 fave at home. While the Houston Texans have a gritty defense themselves, the question continues to be as to if Houston’s rookie quarterback can perform nicely under the pressure of a divisional playoff game in a hostile environment. As the Ravens are more experienced and playing at home, they’ve got the upper hand.