The Houston Texans are back in the postseason for the third straight year, heading to a frigid and chaotic Pittsburgh environment to take on Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.
Kickoff is slated for 7:15 p.m. from Acrisure Stadium.
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Here’s a look at the most popular betting lines, storylines, and what Texans fans should know before kickoff.
Point Spread
Favorite: Texans -3
According to DraftKings, the Texans will enter the game as 3-point favorites. This spread represents a slight tilt in the Texans’ favor, as the spread first opened at Texans -2.5.
Even though it’s one of the tightest spreads of Wild Card weekend, Houston still enters the game as a small road favorite.
This spread speaks to the oddsmakers’ faith in Houston, and their optimism is not misplaced. After starting 3-5, the Texans churned out nine straight wins—a streak that included three victories over future playoff teams.
The Texans’ defense put together a historic campaign, finishing top five league-wide in most defensive metrics. They allowed the fewest yards per game in the NFL (277.24) and second-fewest points per game (17.4).
The Steelers, meanwhile, host as underdogs despite their playoff pedigree and reputation for finding ways to win close games. Pittsburgh went 7-3 in one-possession games this year.
The Steelers also finished the regular season strong, going 4-1 in their final five games.
What “Texans -3″ means:
- Texans’ bettors are banking on Houston winning by at least a field goal
- Steelers bettors are counting on a slight upset—or at the very least, another one-score game.
Moneyline
- Texans: -155
- Steelers: +130
The moneyline reflects cautious confidence in Houston.
Bettors backing the Texans don’t need them to cover the -3 spread—just win the game outright—but they’re pay a premium for that safety.
The -155 odds on the moneyline mean that bettors would receive a payout of $164.52 on a $100 bet on the Texans’ moneyline, as opposed to a $195.24 payout betting on the Texans -3 spread.
Pittsburgh backers see value in a team that thrives as an underdog, especially with postseason experience on its side—and that foresight could earn them a pretty penny.
A $100 bet on the Steelers’ +130 moneyline means that a $100 bet would result in a $230 payout if Pittsburgh takes the victory.
Over/Under (Total Points)
Over/Under 38.5 points
There’s no doubt about this one: oddsmakers are expecting a low scoring affair.
And they’re not without reason. Despite their nine-game winning streak, the Texans have largely leaned on their defense to close out late games. In fact, they scored less than 24 points in six of those nine victories.
The Steelers have developed their own habit of winning low-scoring games at home. Pittsburgh has only scored more than 30 points three times this season. For what it’s worth, those three games were against the Jets and each of their two games against the Bengals (they went 2-1).