The Houston Texans were the underdogs at home against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round but that didn’t matter. They shrugged off the fact that former NFL head coach Rex Ryan said facing them was a bye week and won 32-12.
Their reward for winning is a trip to the AFC Divisional Round to face the Kansas City Chiefs. As expected, Houston is again the underdogs— which is understandable considering the Chiefs have won the past two Super Bowls.
As of Sunday night, the defending champs were favored by more than a touchdown.
Opening AFC Divisional Round betting lines:
— Jaime Eisner (@JaimeEisner) January 12, 2025
Texans @ Chiefs (-7.5); Total: 41.5
Ravens @ Bills (-1); Total: 52
[#NFL odds via @BetOnline_ag]
Texans, Chiefs faced off late in regular season
These two teams faced off in Week 16 with the Chiefs winning 27-19. While they got the win, Houston might have pulled it out if not for a severe injury suffered by wide receiver Tank Dell.
Early in the third quarter, Dell caught a 30-yard touchdown pass but dislocated his knee and suffered a torn ACL.
When he made the reception, Dell pulled the Texans to within one point. The score remained 17-16 when Kai’imi Fairbairn missed the ensuing extra point.
The emotion was visible on the face of every Houston player which resulted in stagnant play. Perhaps they pull out the win if Dell never gets injured, but they should still have plenty of confidence for hanging with the champs.
Throw in their defensive dominance in the Wild Card Round and the Texans should be ready to make the champs work for this one.