Monday’s second game of a primetime doubleheader is a tale of two teams defying their preseason expectations. The Houston Texans (2-3) are struggling to start the year while the Seattle Seahawks (4-2) has overachieved to begin the season.
Houston had an extra week to prepare for this primetime affair after their 44-10 blowout victory over the Baltimore Ravens. That victory was the Texans’ second consecutive win after losing three consecutive to start the season.
The Seahawks made their way into the win column last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Seattle was expected to be competitive under second-year head coach Mike MacDonald, but the 4-2 start exceeds most expectations oddsmakers had for the NFC West team.
Will the Texans or Seahawks emerge victorious in the nightcap of this MNF doubleheader? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this exciting matchup.
In his third year, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled. The 6-foot-3 quarterback has completed over 70 percent of his passes, yet Stroud has amassed only 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns while throwing three picks.
Bettors can expect him to have a strong performance against Seattle’s pass defense. Afer holding three of their first opponents to less than 220 passing yards, the Seahawks have surrendered back-to-back 250-plus performances. Stroud makes it a trifecta on Monday night, finishing with at least 230 yards to cover this prop bet.
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has a clear favorite target in wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The third-year veteran has caught 42 passes for a league-best 696 receiving yards and three scores in 2025.
Tonight’s matchup is his toughest of the season. Since their season-opening loss to the Rams, the Texans have not allowed a wide receiver to top the 80-yard mark.
Although Smith-Njigba has eclipsed that mark in five of his six outings, bettors should take the under on this receiving prop wager.
In the offseason, Houston signed running back Nick Chubb as an insurance policy for their running back room. He’s since become the primary option, and he leads the team with 249 rushing yards on 58 carries, scoring twice in 2025.
Seattle has one of the league’s top rushing defenses, allowing only 61.8 yards per game to running backs. Still, the Seahawks have surrendered at least 43 rushing yards to players at this position in every contest to date.
And Chubb has finished with at least 38 rushing yards in every game. That makes him a strong bet to cover this rushing prop total on Monday.
This is one of the most intriguing games of the young season for bettors. Since 2003, more than 60 percent of the league has posted wins following their bye week, yet the Texans are 0-3 on the road and the underdogs for this matchup.
Avoid taking either team to cover the spread despite clear indications that Houston should on Monday night. Instead, take the under on total points scored.
The Texans have allowed just 12.2 points per outing thus far, and the Seahawks are yielding only 19.5 points despite a 38-point outburst from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.