The Los Angeles Chargers will hit the road in Week 16 to take on the Houston Texans in a must-win game for the Chargers if they hope to secure a playoff spot.
The Chargers (8-6) have largely been on-and-off and they are currently coming off of an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Los Angeles had every chance to win that game and had been playing well in the weeks prior, beating the Bengals and Giants by three scores apiece.
The Texans (3-11) remain one of the worst teams in pro football, but they are coming off of a 30-16 victory over the Jaguars in Week 15. This team should not be actively trying to win and as the season comes to a close, and I’m not expecting them to make any noise this week.
All NFL gameday odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and current as of 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 23.
Chargers vs Texans Prediction
With one of these teams fighting for a spot in the NFL playoffs and the other fighting for a good draft pick, I’m expecting a lopsided final score in this game.
The Chargers have seen a plethora of injuries within their offense recently including Jared Cook (quadriceps), Austin Ekeler (ankle), and Donald Parham Jr. (knee). The injury report and COVID lists will both be important to monitor up until kickoff.
On the other side, Houston could be without star receiver Brandin Cooks, who was placed on the COVID list on Wednesday alongside kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
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The Chargers should take care of business on the road against the Texans regardless of any injuries. They are the far superior team and should play like it in Week 16 as they try to maintain positioning in the AFC playoff picture.
This should be an uphill battle for Houston.
Prediction: Chargers 27, Texans 17
Texans quarterback Davis Mills played well against the Jaguars in Week 15, but can he back up that performance against the Chargers without top WR Brandin Cooks? (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Chargers vs Texans Best Bets
Best Bet: Chargers -10 (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
While my final score prediction has this game resulting in a push, I believe there is more upside for the Chargers to blow out the Texans than for Houston to keep this game close.
The Texans have pulled off some surprising wins this season, but I’m expecting the Chargers to come into this week with a vengeance after a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs.
Best Bet: Under 45.5 Total Points (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
My reasoning for backing the under is quite similar to my reason for backing the Chargers ATS. I believe there is more upside on the under here given the fact that the Texans are more than capable of scoring 10 points or fewer in this game. In essence, there is a ton of scoring downside here.
This game is far more likely to wind up with a final score in the ballpark of 30-7 than it is to end with a scoreline resembling a shoutout.
Back the under here as your NFL pick of the day given the Texans’ impact in relation to the total.
