Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7). Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Week 17: Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans betting picks, preview

By Griffin Carroll | Last updated 12/28/23

We have an AFC South battle on Sunday between two teams that played just two weeks ago when the Tennessee Titans visit the Houston Texans. Will this matchup be any different?

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: Betting Odds

Spread: Houston -5.5, Over/under: 42.5 points, Tennessee +185 | Houston -225

The Titans have dropped two straight close games, which includes a 19-16 game against Houston without C.J. Stroud in the lineup. With Stroud trending back, it could be hard to envision a different result here.

Tennessee is 5-10 and putting a bow on a lost season. Their secondary has been their Achilles' heel this season, plus an offense that just feels like they're missing a few pieces. The hopeful return of Will Levis after he missed last week could at least offer us a fun matchup between two rookie quarterbacks.

Meanwhile, Houston is 8-7, having lost to Cleveland last week with a mixture of Case Keenum and Davis Mills at quarterback. Houston is in a four-way tie for the final wild-card spot with Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, and a win here could offer a nice boost to its chances, though Week 18 vs. the Colts could be "win and get in" regardless of what happens this weekend.

The Texans are 7-8 ATS this year and 9-6 to the under, and the Titans are 6-8-1 ATS and 10-5 to the under.

Betting Picks for Tennessee vs. Houston

Texans -5.5

As mentioned, it does seem we will have both C.J. Stroud and Will Levis back for their respective teams this weekend, but it could be worth waiting for confirmation before you lock in any bets in this one.

Assuming the health of both, we prefer Houston here at home with their rookie QB back in action. After watching this offense the past few weeks, it's really made our appreciation of Stroud grow even stronger, and he should be able to carve up a secondary that has been suspect at best throughout the season.

Houston won a few weeks ago without Stroud, so his presence should only make this a more comfortable win for a Texans team pushing for a playoff spot down the stretch.

We like Houston -5.5 here.

Follow Griffin Carroll at griffybets.substack.com for data, trends and targets for every NFL game, plus all the off-season news you can use.

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