Battle Red Blog
Where is the smart money going on Thursday night?
The Houston Texans are back on prime time football on Thursday night and they take on a team that surprisingly drummed them last season in the New York Jets. The Jets have been a mess all season long. They’ve fired their coach, changed play callers, traded for a star wide receiver, and had prominent hold outs on defense. The one constant for the Jets this year has been chaos.
Chaos is generally not good for gamblers. While the teams have mirror images as records (6-2 vs. 2-6) there is enough chaos in the air to create doubt on Thursday night. For one, the very limited rest always seems to effect at least one team if not both teams. Then, you throw in the injuries every team has this time of year. For the Texans it could be both Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs at wide receiver. The last of wide receiver depth was one of the things that killed the Texans in last season’s game.
It’s been a few weeks since I have done this, but to give everyone a gentle reminder, I have kept track of my stated bets to prove a point about gambling. So far, I am 5-4 on three combined bets for three weeks. This is a gentle reminder about our sponsor Fanduel.com and their sportsbook. Joining is fairly easy and it can be enjoyable as long as you don’t gamble more than you can afford to lose.
For those of you into the spirit of it all, this officially means the Texans are -1.5. I have a bad feeling about this game. The combination of potentially missing two of your top three wide receivers along with the short week make this an unpredictable game. I am taking the Jets to win outright. I think their interior defensive line will give the interior of the Texans offensive line fits.
Normally, the Texans would add a lineman through waivers or trade this week to immediately bolster the interior of the offensive line (or just the left guard position). However, given only three days of prep time, there is no way to sign or trade for someone and have them ready to play by Thursday night. Even if a move were made, it would be hard to envision that player playing on Thursday. Furthermore, there is no way of knowing how many other players will be out that might have been healthy on a Sunday.
I am picking the Jets to win outright. I am doing that for a couple of reasons. First, I think the Texans are going to be the most adversely affected by the short rest from a health standpoint. They likely will be without Stefon Diggs after being without Nico Collins. Most of their linebacking core is still out with injuries and they have been banged up in the secondary as well.
Secondly,...
