As the old saying goes: “Good teams win, but great teams cover.”
Monday night, the Houston Texans returned to the NFL Playoffs for the third straight year, marking their longest postseason streak in franchise history.
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They had their work cut out for them their third time around, being tasked with playing in a frigid and chaotic Pittsburgh environment against the Steelers.
Going into the intense contest, Las Vegas oddsmakers gave the slight edge to the visitors, naming the Texans as 3-point favorites. They also anticipated a low-scoring affair, with the game’s over/under listed at just 38.5 total points.
In a gritty, defensive game at Acrisure Stadium, the Texans outscored the Steelers 23-0 in the fourth quarter to solidify a 30-6 win that was far closer than the score appeared.
Point Spread
Favorite at kickoff: Texans -3
Result: Texans cover!
If you backed the Texans’ spread on Monday night, then congratulations! Our next steak dinner is on you!
In all honesty though, that win wasn’t always such a sure thing. Pittsburgh covered for the entire first quarter, as the Steelers held a 3-0 lead after one. The Texans scored a touchdown in the second quarter, but Pittsburgh responded with a field goal and controlled the spread all the way until the fourth quarter.
In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, Ka’imi Fairbairn added a field goal for the Texans, allowing Houston to narrowly regain the cover with a 10-6 lead.
A scoop-and-score by Texans’ defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins gave bettors some breathing room, and late touchdown by Woody Marks gave Texans-spread bettors the comfort to finally go to bed.
Any Texans-spread bettors who decided to keep the TV on to soak in their victory were rewarded by a pick-six by Texans’ safety Calen Bullock, marking Houston’s second defensive score of the evening.
Moneyline
- Texans: -155
- Steelers: +130
Result: Texans cover!
This one doesn’t take much explaining. The Texans won, so Texans ML bettors went to bed happy!
The -155 odds on the moneyline means that bettors got a payout of $164.52 for every $100 bet on the Texans to win outright, as opposed to a $195.24 payout betting on the Texans -3 spread.
A $100 bet on the Steelers’ +130 moneyline meant that a $100 bet would have resulted in a $230 payout if Pittsburgh won. But in reality, those poor Steelers’ fans went home $100 poorer. Even the citizens of Pittsburgh sometimes have to learn how cold the world can be
Over/Under (Total Points)
Over/Under 38.5 points
Result: Under hits!
The oddsmakers weren’t subtle; they predicted a low-scoring game.
For three and a half quarters, under-bettors looked like geniuses, as the Texans held a 10-6 lead and both offenses looked stuck in mud.
However, the Texans made things very interesting, scoring three consecutive touchdowns in a matter of minutes. However, the Steelers couldn’t counter, and the under hit by just 2.5 points. What a sweat!
NEXT UP FOR THE TEXANS
After advancing, the Houston Texans will travel to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots in the divisional round next week. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots opened as 3-point favorites.
The last time these two teams teams played was October 13, 2024, In that game, Drake Maye turned the ball over three times, and the Texans rolled to a 41-21 road win.
Editor’s note: Odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook.