National Football League

Jaguars vs. Texans odds: How to bet, picks and more

Published Sep. 9, 2021 3:42 p.m. ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars will take on the Houston Texans in Week 1 at NRG Stadium. While both teams are rebuilding, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Jacksonville is further along in the process with hope for the upcoming season, while the Texans are going into full rebuild mode.

This game will feature the debut of Jacksonville's prized rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was taken first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Urban Meyer also makes his head coaching debut for the Jags. Jacksonville fans hope the combination of Lawrence and Meyer will lead their team back to the playoffs sooner than later.

On the flip side, star quarterback Deshaun Watson won't be suiting up anytime soon for Houston as he faces 22 civil lawsuits. For that reason, the Texans will go with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback. The team also has a new head coach, with David Culley making his NFL debut.

Here are the betting odds, point spread, moneylines and total over/under for Jacksonville versus Houston, plus some expert analysis to help you pick a side (with all odds via FOX Bet).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS @ HOUSTON TEXANS (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)

63% of bets and 56% of money are currently on the Jaguars to cover the spread.

Point spread: Jacksonville -3 (The Jaguars favored to win by more than 3 points; otherwise Texans cover)
Moneyline: Jaguars -162 to win outright (bet $10 to win $16.17 total). Texans +135 to win outright (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)
Total over/ under: 44.5 combined points by both teams

Expert analysis via FOX Sports Betting Analyst Jason McIntyre: "Inarguable fact: The Texans have the worst roster in the NFL. Deshaun Watson was the only reason the Texans won four games last season, and he’s sidelined. The defense gave up 30-plus points in eight games last year. They also gave up 5.0 yards per carry, one of the worst figures the NFL has seen in the past decade.

"All that said, why are they giving a field goal at home to the one-win Jaguars, who have a first-time NFL coach and a rookie QB? I like the Jags in this game, and I like them this season. But it’s not a long-term losing strategy to back a rookie QB as a favorite on the road. If you can stomach putting your hard-earned, after-tax dollars on a Tyrod Taylor-led team, fire away. The Texans will employ run-heavy sets and try to bully a below-average Jags defense with Mark Ingram, David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay splitting somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 carries."

PICK: Texans (+3) to lose by fewer than 3 points (or win outright)

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