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Fans will be treated to a potential playoff preview when the Houston Texans (10-5) head to Los Angeles to face the Chargers (11-4) on Saturday.
Houston recovered nicely from their 0-3 start to the season. The Texans have reeled off seven straight wins and could become just the seventh team in NFL history to make the playoffs despite losing their first three games of the season.
Los Angeles is assured of a playoff spot after the Indianapolis Colts dropped their Monday Night Football game to San Francisco in Week 16. The Chargers have won seven of their last eight games, dropping only a close contest to the Jacksonville Jaguars along the way.
Which team will end December by extending their winning streak? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this intriguing AFC matchup.
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has had an interesting 2025 campaign. The third-year player has missed three games due to injury. Still, he’s completed nearly 66 percent of his passes this year for 2,628 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions when healthy enough to play.
The Texans have relied heavily on their ground game this season, shifting some of the burden off Stroud. That plays into the Chargers’ favor as Los Angeles has held opponents to just over 100 rushing yards on average per game.
Only two teams in the past eight tries have finished with more than 100 rushing yards against the Chargers, however. That suggests Houston will need Stroud to have a big day to win this game. Take him to cover his passing prop total, surpassing 230 yards in this Saturday contest.
The Chargers struck gold in the fifth round of this year’s draft, selecting Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden with their pick. In his debut year, the receiver currently has 44 receptions for 609 yards and two touchdowns, proving he is a reliable target for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Tight ends have had success against Houston’s defense. Two weeks ago, Arizona’s Trey McBride logged 134 receiving yards on 12 receptions to set the bar. Gadsden doesn’t need to be nearly that involved to cover this prop. Bettors should make this their top pick as he’ll become the seventh tight end to record over 31 yards against this AFC South squad.
After missing nearly half the season, Los Angeles finally has prized rookie Omarion Hampton in their backfield. Through eight games, the former Tar Heel has 516 rushing yards on 110 attempts, scoring three times for the Chargers on the ground. He’s also added 24 receptions for 161 yards and another score via the aerial attack.
The Texans have a stout run defense. Only Buffalo’s James Cook and Las Vegas’ Ashton Jeanty have surpassed the century mark against Houston this season. Hampton needs only 62 yards to cover this rushing prop, but expect the runner to find little-to-no room to operate. Bettors should take the under on this rushing prop wager.
Last year, the Texans started the season with a 5-1 record before faltering down the stretch. Still, Houston recovered for their playoff contest to clobber the Chargers 32-12 in the AFC Wild Card round.
The Chargers welcome a chance to avenge last year’s postseason loss. Yet the reason bettors should take Houston is the team’s ability to run the football against top rushing defenses. Bettors should take the Texans to win this game and cover the 1.5-point spread.