It’s not a crazy stretch to imagine the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans in a Super Bowl matchup come February, so Week 10’s Sunday night game offers a preview of what may be to come. The Lions are road favorites in this matchup between contenders.
The Texans are home underdogs because of two factors.
The first is that despite its talented roster, strong record and home-field advantage, Houston has not consistently looked like the team it was a year ago. The offensive line has taken a big step backward, and the Texans are also dealing with significant injuries at wide receiver that have taken Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs off the field in recent weeks.
The second reason is that the Lions might be the best football team in the league. They do not just win games and beat teams; they crush and, at times, humiliate them. They have won four games by double digits this season, including two on the road. Quarterback Jared Goff is not only playing at an MVP level, but he is legitimately going through one of the best six-game stretches any quarterback has ever played. Over that stretch, he has never had a passer rating lower than 109.0 and has thrown 13 touchdown passes to just one interception.
Since the start of the 2021 season, the Lions are 8-2 against the spread as road favorites, the best mark in the NFL during that time. Houston is 3-2 against the spread as home underdogs the past two seasons under head coach DeMeco Ryans.
How to watch Detroit Lions at Houston Texans
Lions vs. Texans odds
Expert picks for Lions vs. Texans
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
Read more about NFL Week 10
Trade deadline winners, losers: Chiefs, Lions get richer; why did Giants stay put?
Trade grades: Commanders make deadline day splash by acquiring Marshon Lattimore
Jayden Daniels, Brock Bowers lead midseason All-Rookie team. Who else made the cut?
Travis Kelce says brother Jason was ‘defending’ their family in phone-smashing incident
(Photo of Jahmyr Gibbs: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
