Houston Texans: Betting on the 2024 Team

In 2023, the Houston Texans were the surprise team of the NFL season. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year, edge rusher Will Anderson was the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and DeMeco Ryans was second in voting for NFL Coach of  the Year, losing on a tiebreaker. (He’s paying +1300 this year).

All of that individual success led to team success, with the Texans going from three wins in 2022 to 10 wins last season, and their first playoff win since 2019. Now, heading into this year after a great off-season, the Texans are one of the best bets in 2024.

Houston Texans Postseason Odds

From 2015 through 2019, the Texans were in the playoffs in four of five seasons. There’s every reason to think this team is set up for that kind of sustained success. Odds on the Texans making the playoffs for a second consecutive year are -190.

The Texans are also the favorite to win the AFC South for the second straight year, paying +105. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the second betting favorite at +275, and the Indianapolis Colts are +310.

The AFC is top heavy, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Buffalo Bills remaining the conference favorites. They all have great quarterbacks, and now that the Texans have joined that elite QB club, this may be the year they become an AFC heavyweight. The Texans are currently fifth to win the AFC, paying +850, just behind the Bills at +800. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins (both with good quarterbacks) are behind the Texans at +1100.

The Texans have never won the Super Bowl, but they have to be counted among the 10 to 12 teams with a legitimate chance to win it this season. They are paying +1600, which ranks eighth in the NFL.

Offensive Award Odds

The Texans opened their training camp on Wednesday, and when Stroud met with reporters on Thursday, he was gushing about his large number of weapons. “It’s a five-headed monster. It’s definitely dope to have just a bunch of options.”

The five heads of the Texans’ attack are the two returning wide receivers from last year, Nico Collins and Tank Dell, new wide receiver Stefon Diggs, tight end Dalton Schultz, and new running back Joe Mixon.

Collins was a revelation last season, going from two seasons with yardage totals in the 400s, to nearly 1,300 receiving yards in 2023. He also caught eight touchdowns after scoring just three times in his first two NFL seasons. At the moment, Collins is paying +6000 to win Offensive Player of the Year, which is great value for what he is expected to do in this offense.

Diggs is the established star, and even though he struggled to produce down the stretch for the Bills in 2023, he’s gone over 1,000 yards in each of the last six seasons, and also provides good value at +6000. Mixon was a 1,000-yard rusher last year, and he is paying +7500. Dell’s rookie season ended with a broken leg, and he is paying +15000. Schultz is paying +25000.

All of those weapons, and all of the points expected to be scored by this offense, has Stroud as one of the trendy picks to be the NFL MVP. Only Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs has shorter odds. He is paying +475, and in second is Stroud at +850. He would be the first Texan to win the MVP award.

Defensive Award Odds

Three times in their history, the Texans have claimed the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Their top candidate this year is cornerback Kamari Lassiter, the 42nd overall pick from Georgia. He is paying +6000 to win the award.

Anderson, last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, is +2000 to win Defensive Player of the Year. Because of J.J. Watt, the Texans have won the award three times – all by him.

Off-season acquisition Danielle Hunter is also among the top-10 favorites for the DPOY award, paying +2500. Hunter, along with Diggs and Mixon, made the Texans the first team in NFL history to add players that had 10-plus sacks, 100-plus receptions, and 1,000-plus rushing yards in the same off-season.

The Texans open the regular season on the road at Indianapolis, and Houston is the early 1.5-point favorite.

© Copyright 2024 - VegasLuck.com