To celebrate Christmas Day, the NFL gives its fans two incredible matchups. In this piece, we'll break down the Ravens vs. Texans game on December 25. Both of these teams have already locked up their spots in the playoffs, but they're each hungry to improve their seedings.
Can Baltimore keep building momentum toward its quest for the AFC North crown? Will Houston bounce back after a tough loss last Saturday against Kansas City? We'll answer those questions and more below. Thanks for reading and best of luck with your plays!
Oddsmakers opened this line at Baltimore -3 on the look-ahead line a few days ago. The line re-opened Baltimore -4 after their win and Houston's loss in Week 16. Will this line hold, or will we see some sharp buyback on the Texans?
As for the total, there haven't been any fireworks so far. The line opened at 47.5 and that's where most sports betting apps still have it. There is a 47 available at a prominent book if any of you have an interest in the Over.
What is there to like about Baltimore's offense? Gee, where do we start? The Ravens lead the NFL in yards per play, yards per rush, and yards per pass. Lamar Jackson has been playing like an MVP candidate even though the award will most likely go to Josh Allen of Buffalo.
The former Louisville star has thrown for 3787 yards and a robust 37 TDs in 2024. Another encouraging thing about Jackson is that he's cut down on his turnovers (just 4 INTs). The only bad news for the Ravens offense is that Justice Hill and Zay Flowers are both listed as questionable with injuries.
Baltimore's defense has been Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde this season. They lead the league in yards per rush allowed but rank just 23rd in yards per pass allowed. The Ravens have been exceptionally bad when playing zone.
Houston has already locked up the AFC South crown, so some folks may be a bit worried about their motivation level for this game. However, DeMeco Ryans is a no-nonsense type of coach, and I don't see him letting his guys take their feet off the gas down the stretch. A couple more wins would help Houston's playoff seeding tremendously.
CJ Stroud is suffering from somewhat of a sophomore slump this season, but he's still thrown for 3492 yards and 19 TDs. That said, Stroud's 11 INTs are concerning. Nevertheless, I think Stroud can have a field day against this suspect Ravens secondary.
The Houston offense may be lackluster this season, but the defense has been phenomenal. Derek Stingley and the secondary should match up well against the Ravens receivers. However, the key to slowing down Baltimore will be limiting Derrick Henry and their rushing attack.
BAL at HOU: 4:30 PM EST
Baltimore is one of the best teams in the league, but this is just too many points for them to be laying on the road. I'm a big fan of backing good teams in a bounce-back spot, and that's what we're getting here with Houston.
Sure, the Texans lost a tough one last week to the Chiefs, but they have enough weapons to give the Ravens a game. Baltimore's secondary has struggled against above-average receivers, so Nico Collins could go off in this game. Give me the points with the disrespected home dog!
Prediction: Ravens 24 - Texans 21