Buccaneers vs. Texans Prediction, Monday Night Football Odds & MNF Picks
The Houston Texans host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium for Monday Night Football (7 p.m. ET, ABC), with my Buccaneers vs. Texans prediction expecting a closely contested, defensive battle.
The Texans are the 2.5-point betting favorite, and the NFL picks below - part of the NFL predictions for Week 2 - analyze whether Houston can pick up its first win after an ugly offensive performance last week.
🏈 Buccaneers vs. Texans prediction for Monday Night Football
NFL expert picks based on the latest Monday Night Football odds; subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Texans (-135 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Against the spread pick: Texans -2.5 (-108 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Under 42.5 (-102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
📝 Monday Night Football preview & best bet
Track the latest NFL scores for line movement and matchup info.
🐂 Texans ML (-135) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.
However, if the odds go past -140, I'd pivot back to the -2.5 against-the-spread pick. The other best sports betting sites' moneyline odds range from -143 to -145, all of which are too expensive for my liking.
💰 Best Buccaneers vs. Texans player prop bet for Monday Night Football
Our NFL player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
⬆️ Will Anderson Jr. Over 0.25 sacks (-129) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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. A winning $10 bet at DraftKings' -129 odds will yield a $7.75 profit.
📊 Buccaneers vs. Texans odds: MNF
NFL odds update live in real time.
📈 Buccaneers vs. Texans opening odds
- Moneyline: Buccaneers +110 | Texans -130
- Spread: Buccaneers +1.5 (-105) | Texans -1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: Over 46.5 (-110) | Under 46.5 (-110)
🔍 Buccaneers vs. Texans odds analysis
The Texans moved from -1.5 to -2.5 early in the week, where the betting line has remained. Of the public bets, 53% back the Texans to win and cover. The total is set at 42.5 after dropping from 44.5, with 59% of bets backing the Over.
🔢 Buccaneers vs. Texans stats
Season stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
| Buccaneers (1-0) | Statistic (per game) | Texans (0-1) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Points | 9 |
| 20 | Points allowed | 14 |
| 0 | Turnover margin | -1 |
| 159 | Passing yards | 151 |
| 101 | Rushing yards | 114 |
| 289 | Passing yards allowed | 224 |
| 69 | Rushing yards allowed | 72 |
| -0.4 | Net yards per play | -0.6 |
🚑 Buccaneers vs. Texans injury report
📺 How to watch Monday Night Football
- When: Monday, Sept. 15
- Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: NRG Stadium (Houston)
- How to watch: ABC/ESPN
❓ Monday Night Football FAQs
Who plays on Monday Night Football?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans square off on Monday Night Football at 7 p.m. ET.
When is Monday Night Football?
MNF starts at 7 p.m. ET and is aired on ESPN and ABC.
Who is favored to win Monday Night Football?
The Texans are the 2.5-point betting favorite for MNF.
How do NFL odds work?
When betting on NFL odds, the point spread shows how many points the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -3 must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while an underdog at +3 must win outright or lose by fewer than 3 points to cover the spread.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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