The first game of the Week 2 Monday Night Football double-header features Tampa Bay and Houston at 7:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN. SBR's Gary Pearson breaks down the action in his Buccaneers vs Texans prediction:
Texans ML (-135 DraftKings)
"Inept, listless, inefficient, ghastly. Pick your favorite of those four words, and you have a perfect embodiment of the Texans' Week 1 offensive performance. There is some good news, though. First, they get to play at home, which makes snap counts easier at the very least.
And second, the Buccaneers' pass defense struggled against Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. in the opener, allowing 298 yards while receiving the same 21st-ranked pressure grade (61.9) it did last season. That should present an ideal opportunity - even with center Jake Andrews unavailable - for Stroud and his receivers to gain confidence and source some productivity.
The most crucial facet for the Texans to win, though, is the state of the Buccaneers' offensive line. Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is still out, and right tackle Luke Goedeke is questionable after injuring his ankle in Week 1. It means Cody Mauch could be the only offensive lineman playing in his original position.
That is a catastrophic recipe against such a formidable Texans' defensive line, which had the best pressure grade in Week 1 (81.9) and was a top-10 unit last season. If the Texans can consistently pressure Baker Mayfield, I believe they will win ugly. With DraftKings' -135 odds, I'm willing to take them on the moneyline."
Will Anderson Jr. Over 0.25 sacks (-129 DraftKings)
"Will Anderson Jr. will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a banged-up Buccaneers offensive line. He'll almost assuredly face backup linemen, providing the chance to wear them down and showcase his superiority. Even if he's double-teamed, it's unlikely backups will prevent him from getting his mitts on Mayfield for the duration.
Anderson had a sack on Rams QB Matthew Stafford in Week 1 and obtained at least half a sack in his last four games at NRG Stadium. With the prospective mismatch, I expect him to extend that streak to five. If you think he'll get a sack or more, lock in the -104 odds at DraftKings.
I'm taking the buffer just in case he requires some assistance bringing Mayfield down, who was sacked just once against Atlanta."
Buccaneers vs Texans Best Odds:
Who comes out on top tonight? Post your picks below.
Texans ML (-135 DraftKings)
"Inept, listless, inefficient, ghastly. Pick your favorite of those four words, and you have a perfect embodiment of the Texans' Week 1 offensive performance. There is some good news, though. First, they get to play at home, which makes snap counts easier at the very least.
And second, the Buccaneers' pass defense struggled against Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. in the opener, allowing 298 yards while receiving the same 21st-ranked pressure grade (61.9) it did last season. That should present an ideal opportunity - even with center Jake Andrews unavailable - for Stroud and his receivers to gain confidence and source some productivity.
The most crucial facet for the Texans to win, though, is the state of the Buccaneers' offensive line. Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is still out, and right tackle Luke Goedeke is questionable after injuring his ankle in Week 1. It means Cody Mauch could be the only offensive lineman playing in his original position.
That is a catastrophic recipe against such a formidable Texans' defensive line, which had the best pressure grade in Week 1 (81.9) and was a top-10 unit last season. If the Texans can consistently pressure Baker Mayfield, I believe they will win ugly. With DraftKings' -135 odds, I'm willing to take them on the moneyline."
Will Anderson Jr. Over 0.25 sacks (-129 DraftKings)
"Will Anderson Jr. will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a banged-up Buccaneers offensive line. He'll almost assuredly face backup linemen, providing the chance to wear them down and showcase his superiority. Even if he's double-teamed, it's unlikely backups will prevent him from getting his mitts on Mayfield for the duration.
Anderson had a sack on Rams QB Matthew Stafford in Week 1 and obtained at least half a sack in his last four games at NRG Stadium. With the prospective mismatch, I expect him to extend that streak to five. If you think he'll get a sack or more, lock in the -104 odds at DraftKings.
I'm taking the buffer just in case he requires some assistance bringing Mayfield down, who was sacked just once against Atlanta."
Buccaneers vs Texans Best Odds:
Who comes out on top tonight? Post your picks below.