Philadelphia Eagles (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) vs. Houston Texans (4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS)
NFL Week 10
Date and Time: Sunday, November 2, 1:00pm EST
Where: NRG Stadium – Houston, Texas
TV: FOX
by Bob, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: PHI -2.5/HOU +2.5
Over/Under Total: 48.5
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Sunday at 1:00pm, the Philadelphia Eagles will travel to Houston to take on the Texans. This is a good AFC/NFC battle between two teams that could potentially be in the playoffs. Both teams are still alive and well in their respective divisions, but it is more likely they both make the playoffs as wild card teams. Games like this are huge, and a win for either team would be a huge momentum swing for the second half of the 2014 season.
The line opens with the Eagles as a 2.5 point road favorite. The total points are set at 48.5. In my opinion, I see this game being more of an even pick game, but it appears the bookmakers and general pubic so far, like the Eagles to come in and get this win. Against the spread this season, the Eagles are 4-3 while the Texans are 5-3. I could see this game going either way and it appears that this is going down to the wire.
The Philadelphia Eagles enter this game at 5-2 overall and just a half game out of first place in the NFC East. In many of the experts NFL power rankings, the Eagles make the top four or five in all of the NFL. Philly has played well this season and has already won their first two games against their NFC East rivals, the Redskins and the Giants. They have yet to face off against the Cowboys, but for now, they need to keep pace by winning this game against Houston. The hot start for Philadelphia is mostly due to their offense, but the defense has played well when need be too. Nick Foles has the Eagles offense ranked 6th in the NFL in passing with 283 yards per game while the run game has taken a minor step back from 2013, averaging 115 yards per game, and ranking 14th. The defense has had a couple of good performances, including a shutout of the Giants, and 34-17 win over Jacksonville in week one when the Philly offense actually put the defense in some tough spots. In order to win this game, and get the cover on the road, Philly needs an all out great game. The Eagles will need to play well against the run, but the offense will need to control the ball as well. I do believe that the Eagles are the better team, but going on the road in the NFL is not easy. Philly will need to play mistake free football… that is a must.
Houston has already improved since last season. In 2013, the Texans started 2-0, and did not win another game, finishing 2-14 for a league’s worst record. Starting 4-4 this season is a huge turnaround, and as we speak, they are sitting in 2nd place in the AFC South only a game behind the Colts. A win this week against the Eagles would be a tremendous boost heading into the rest of this season. The question mark for over a year now for the Texans has been the quarterback position. This season, Ryan Fitzpatrick has won the job, and so far he has done an okay job of leading the offense. Through eight games, Fitzpatrick has thrown for a little over 1,700 yards passing and 9 touchdowns. The running game is what truly fuels the Texans offense. Led by Arian Foster, Houston is ranked 5th in the NFL in rushing. I am not sure I would consider Houston a legit AFC contender, simply because of the QB play and their mediocre at best defense, but I do believe they can win this game against the Eagles. The only way however, will be to balance the passing attack and the rushing attack. If Houston becomes one dimensional, I just do not see them winning this game against a good Philadelphia team.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I am not one to lean on the road favorites in the NFL, especially when both teams are pretty good, but I really like the Eagles in this one. Something tells me that they go into Houston and coast to an easy win. Not sure why, I just feel this way. I predict a 27-16 Eagles win. PICK THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -2.5 AND UNDER THE POSTED TOTAL POINTS!
