The Detroit Lions have lost eight straight games on Thanksgiving Day both SU and ATS, and will try to break that streak against one of the NFL's best teams when the Houston Texans visit Ford Field this Thursday.
Houston is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS this season and 8-2 SU & ATS in their past 10 road games.
The UNDER is 6-3 over Detroit's last nine Thanksgiving Day games. The Lions are just 4-12-1 ATS over their last 17 games.
Both prior meetings between these teams played OVER the total (2004, 2008).
View Houston vs Detroit Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Oddsmakers at Sportsbook had the Lions as 3-point underdogs in the game, while the betting total was sitting at 49 over at Sportsbook as of Tuesday.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The OddsShark Power Rankings have the Lions at No. 10 and the Texans at No. 1 heading into this contest. Handicapping models project a 35-23 result in favor of the Texans.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Detroit's No. 15-ranked offense, averaging 23.6 PPG, against a Texans defense that ranks No. 4 this week at 18 PPG. The Lions aerial game is averaging 301.8 yards per game, more than the Texans secondary allows through the air, 213.6 YPG per game.
Defensively, the Texans feature the league's No. 2-rated road run defense, allowing 77 yards per game. Detroit, meanwhile, ranks No. 26 in rushing offense at home.
Last time out for Houston, they were a 43-37 Sportsbook as they battled the Jaguars at home. The Texans failed to cover in the match as a 15-point favorite, while 80 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. In their last game, the Texans got 5 passing scores out of Matt Schaub en route to a 43-37 win over the Jaguars on Sunday at Reliant Stadium.
Last time out for Detroit, they were a 24-20 loser as they battled the Packers at home. The Lions failed to cover in the match as a 3-point underdog, while 44 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. In their last gridiron battle, Calvin Johnson did much of the damage, producing 143 receiving yards but Detroit managed to defeat the Lions 24-20 at Ford Field.
Houston Texans Trends:
When playing in November are 7-3
When playing on turf are 3-7
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 7-3
Detroit Lions Trends:
When playing in November are 2-8
When playing on turf are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 4-6
When playing outside the division are 6-4
A few Texans at Lions trends to consider:
Houston is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Detroit is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Next up:
Houston at Tennessee, Sunday, December 2
Detroit home to Indianapolis, Sunday, December 2
