Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Pick & Prediction 8/9/24

The Texans are the favorite on the road vs. the Steelers in a week one pre-season matchup. The game, which kicks off at 7:00 ET, is being televised on NFLN. Even though the Texans are 0-1 in the pre-season, they are the slight favorite with a money line of -104. The Steelers’ money line odds are -118. The over/under line is at 37.5 points.

HOUSTON TEXANS VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers -1

This game will be played at Acrisure Stadium at 7:00 ET on Friday, August 9th.

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

• We have the Steelers winning this one by a score of 23 to 19
• Not only do we have the Steelers winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -1
• Look for this game to go over the line of 37.5 points

Will The Texans Pick Up A Win On The Road?

After a strong start, the Texans fell behind in the 3rd quarter and didn’t score in the 4th, losing 21-17 to the Bears. Houston initially led 17-14 at halftime, with Davis Mills connecting with Teagan Quitoriano for a touchdown in the 1st quarter and a late 2nd-quarter touchdown from Case Keenum to Cam Akers.

Despite being 2.5-point favorites, the Texans’ loss dropped their record to 0-1. The over/under line heading into the game was 32.5 points, and the teams combined for 38.

In their 21-17 loss to the Bears, the Texans’ offense managed just 15 first downs and 190 yards passing on 27 attempts. They struggled on third down, converting only 25% of their chances. Davis Mills led the passing attack with 102 yards and one touchdown, finishing with a passer rating of 124 and completing 76% of his passes.

Houston’s running game was virtually non-existent, gaining only 54 yards on 21 attempts. J.J. Taylor was their top rusher with just 16 yards. Xavier Hutchinson led the team with 56 receiving yards, including a 20-yard reception. The Texans’ lone offensive touchdown came through the air.

The Texans’ defense struggled on third downs, allowing the Bears to convert 50% of their chances. They gave up three passing touchdowns and allowed Chicago to complete 75% of their passes for 192 yards. Despite only allowing 13 first downs, the Texans lost 21-17, with the Bears making the most of their limited drives.

One of the key issues for Houston was their inability to generate a pass rush, as they finished with zero sacks. The Texans did force one more turnover than the Bears and had more quarterback hits, but Chicago’s big plays were enough to come out on top.

Will The Steelers Win At Home Over The Texans?

The Steelers went 3-0 last pre-season, starting with a 27-17 win over the Buccaneers. They were undefeated on the road (2-0) and 1-0 at home. Pittsburgh also beat Buffalo 27-15 and wrapped up the pre-season with a 24-0 win over Atlanta.

Despite being 23rd in yards per game and 25th in passing yards per game, the Steelers were the 3rd best scoring offense in the pre-season last year, averaging 26 points per game. They were 19th in yards per play. Pittsburgh focused on the running game, averaging 33 attempts per game, the 3rd most in the league, and 129.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 9th.

Against the pass, the Steelers allowed 227.3 yards per game last pre-season, which was 24th in the league. However, they were the best defense in terms of points allowed, giving up just 10.7 points per game. Pittsburgh’s defense also gave up 286.7 yards per game, ranking 23rd. They were tough to run against, allowing only 59.3 rushing yards per game, the lowest figure in the NFL.