Eagles vs. Texans Picks, Predictions Week 9: Unbeaten Philly Big Road Favorite on Thursday Night Football

Top NFL picks for the Week 9 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Eagles and Texans.
Connor Cooper
Connor Cooper

Last Updated: November 3, 2022 4:28 AM EDT • 4 minute read

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Undefeated at 7-0, the Philadelphia Eagles enter their Week 9 Thursday Night Football contest with the Houston Texans as huge betting favorites. Read on for our Eagles-Texans picks and predictions.

The Eagles improved to 7-0 with a 35-13 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. After adding star defensive end Robert Quinn ahead of the NFL trade deadline, they take to the road as 13.5-point favorites against the host Texans.

Houston, 1-5-1, surprised many by not selling at the trade deadline. Losers of two straight games, the Texans will look to pull the season's biggest upset on their home field.

Let’s break down the Week 9 Thursday Night Football matchup with our Eagles-Texans picks and predictions (odds via PointsBet, FanDuel Sportsbook, and Caesars Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our Thursday Night Football prop picks as well as all of our Week 9 NFL picks.

Eagles vs. Texans Game Info

Date: Thursday, Nov. 3, 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Weather: Indoors

Eagles vs. Texans Odds

Eagles vs. Texans Odds Analysis

To no one’s surprise, more than three-quarters of the early money and tickets are on Philadelphia, moving the Eagles to 13-point favorites from a consensus opening line of -9.5. There’s been similar one-way action on the total, with 76% of the handle and 87% of bets backing the Over.

Eagles vs. Texans Picks

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Eagles vs. Texans ATS Pick

Texans +13 (-107) ★★

Houston couldn’t have looked much worse last week against the Tennessee Titans, allowing 314 rushing yards and failing to reach the end zone until its final possession. But if anything, I think that sets up a bounceback effort from a Texans squad that should be playing for pride in a nationally-televised home game.

“When you play that bad, you can’t wait to get back and get that bad taste out of your mouth,” Texans head coach Lovie Smith said to reporters following last week’s loss. “That’s the good thing about having a Thursday game.”

Meanwhile, the Eagles are traveling on a short week and a visit to Houston isn’t likely to bring their best effort. Only three of Philadelphia’s seven wins this year were by a double-digit margin, and two of the Eagles’ three road victories were by a field goal. Philly has also shown a tendency this season to take its foot off the gas in the second half after building a big lead, which opens up the potential for a backdoor cover by the Texans.

Eagles vs. Texans O/U Pick

Under 44 (-106) ★★★

Eagles QB Jaylen Hurts, wide receiver A.J. Brown, and the rest of the offense get a lot of credit for the team's 7-0 start, but don’t overlook how dominant Philly’s defense has been. Since giving up 35 points to the Detroit Lions in the season opener, Philadelphia's D has not allowed more than 17 points in a game (the Jacksonville Jaguars scored 21 in Week 3, but seven of those came on an interception return for a touchdown.)

Philadelphia will likely use a conservative offensive attack with just three days to prepare, and there’s no reason not to hand the ball off consistently against Houston’s league-worst run defense. Even with their struggles stopping the run, the Texans have still managed to hold five of their first seven opponents to 23 or fewer points. Just two of their seven games saw more than 43 points scored.

Eagles vs. Texans Prop Pick

Pierce Over 61.5 rushing yards (-103) ★★★

Pierce is basically Houston’s entire offense right now. The rookie is averaging nearly 20 carries per game over his last five contests, and he scored the Texans’ only touchdown as a receiver last week. Prior to being held to 35 rushing yards by Tennessee, the rookie averaged more than 107 yards on the ground per game in his previous three outings. He had not been held under 69 yards since Week 1.

Philadelphia’s rush defense ranks in the middle of the league, allowing 114.7 yards per game. If Pierce gets his usual volume of carries, he should be able to get over this low number.

Where to Bet on Eagles vs. Texans Picks

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Eagles-Texans picks made 11/01/2022 at 10:54 a.m. ET.

Written by:
Connor Cooper
Connor Cooper has written about sports in various capacities for more than 20 years, including as a newspaper reporter, sports handicapper, and betting analyst. He originates hockey plays every day throughout the NHL season, regularly bets his own opinions based on NFL experience and college football, and relies on handicappers he trusts to find daily action in basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, and golf. A diehard Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan growing up in the Toronto area, Connor quickly shed all his allegiances once he realized that making money betting on sports was much more fun than cheering for his favorite team. Connor won’t hesitate to bet on — or against — anybody if that’s where the value lies. In addition to analyzing recent and season-long statistics, Connor always looks to account for the human element when breaking down games, weighing situational and motivational factors into his handicapping process. He's also a big believer in finding creative ways to generate more value, constantly scouring BetMGM, Caesar, FanDuel, and other regulated sportsbooks' derivative markets such as team totals, alternate lines, and player props.