The Jan 15 – Houston Texans vs Ravens game has the potential to be a extraordinary and intriguing game from beginning to end, or a serious disappointment. The reason: both squads have looked amazing at times this year and completely horrid at others.

NFL odds

The Houston Texans have an excuse for their sometimes unsatisfactory play, as the squad has been affected by accidents all year. 1st, their all-pro wide receive Andre Johnson was lost with a hamstring injury. As though this blow to their offense wasn’t serious enough, after that , they lost their starting quarterback, Matt Schaub. Then they went on to lose their 2nd chain quarterback, Matt Leingart, to injury. This set rookie T.J. Yates into the starting duty. Although Yates has played wonderfully thus far, it’s still to be determined how he can fare vs the vicious Ravens’ defense. The Houston Texans struggle through these accidents to a 10-6 record, but limped into the playoffs because they lost their last 3 matches of the year.

Sports betting

Although the Ravens have looked extraordinary for the most part this year, they have come up short at inexplicable times. After beating Houston 29-14 earlier this year, they lost their next game to pathetic Jacksonville as they performed some of the worst type of offensive football exhibited by any squad this year. Then, after beating Pittsburgh 23-20, they lost their next game to Seattle. So, while it would seem Baltimore has the healthier, more comprehensive squad, that’s presuming the Baltimore who won those major matches this year appears.

Sportsbooks are counting on that. Baltimore is a 7.5 favorite at home. While the Houston Texans have a gritty defense themselves, the question is as to if Houston’s rookie quarterback can play well under the stress of a divisional playoff game in a inhospitable atmosphere. As the Ravens are more experienced and competing at home, they’ve got the upper hand.