The Arizona Cardinals (3-10) and Houston Texans (8-5) will meet in Week 15 of the NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will broadcast live on FOX.
The Texans are 10.5-point favorites over the Cardinals on the spread (Texans -10.5), with the over/under set at 42.5 total points. Houston is a -575 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Arizona is +400 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Cardinals vs Texans predictions and my NFL picks for Sunday, December 14.
Cardinals vs Texans Prediction, Picks
- Cardinals vs Texans pick: Texans -10.5 (-110)
My Texans vs. Cardinals best bet is on Houston to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at bet365. However, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Cardinals vs Texans Odds for NFL Week 15
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 42.5 -110o / -110u | +400 |
| Texans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 42.5 -110o / -110u | -575 |
Arizona Cardinals vs Houston Texans NFL Preview
There is no choice but to commend the performance of Jacoby Brissett during the latter half of the NFL season.
Brissett has stepped in and made the Cardinals offense viable in relief of Kyler Murray; the veteran has done so often without the services of his top wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., and his right tackle, Jonah Williams.
Brissett has been tasked with attempting 40 or more passes in five consecutive games, with most of those passes coming in the second half as Arizona plays catch up in a trailing game script.
While Brissett is racking up a yardage total that is pushing for the league lead over the span of his time as a starter, the perception of his play is much higher than his actual production due to one huge performance against the 49ers.
San Francisco’s pass rush was decimated and chose to sit back in coverage when it met the Cardinals, allowing Brissett to work underneath the entire game. The Arizona passing attack has a much more difficult challenge ahead of it today in Houston.
Over this five-game stretch for Brissett, where he has had to attempt more than 40 throws per game, let’s dive into the numbers if we subtract his Week 11 game against the 49ers.
In those other four games, Brissett has averaged 6.4 yards per attempt; that mark is the fifth-lowest out of all passers with 100 or more attempts over those particular weeks.
Brissett has also taken 16 sacks in those games and he has had to scramble out of the pocket an additional 13 times.
When he has had to deliver inside the pocket, he has not been that efficient, either. His -5.6% completion percentage over expectation is the third-lowest out of all signal-callers with 100 or more attempts in those particular weeks.
To make matters worse, Cardinals left tackle, Paris Johnson Jr., is expected to miss this game. Johnson has been the best lineman for the Cards this season, and he was the only guard or tackle remaining on this offensive line unit that graded out as a top-50 player at their position, according to Pro Football Focus.
It’s not going to be easy for Brissett and company to make a comeback against the Texans if they fall behind early once again.
Houston leads the NFL in fourth-quarter point differential at +68 and it leads the NFL in success rate as a pass defense. Being in obvious passing situations will not bode well against the pass rush of the Texans.
The Texans allow just 1.3 points per drive, a league-best mark. Their 8.7% adjusted sack rate is the fifth-highest league-wide and is led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
On the interior, Sheldon Rankins is having his best season as a pro, grading out as the fifth-highest interior defender this season, per PFF.
Cardinals vs Texans Betting Predictions, Analysis
It was important that C.J. Stroud was able to overcome a very bad stretch last week in Kansas City to pull off the upset after the Chiefs were able to come back and tie the game.
All of the momentum is on the side of the surging Texans.
The Houston offense will do enough to get them the lead in the first half and the incredible Texans defense will stymie any chance of a comeback to close the show in the second half.
Lay the points with the home team in this spot.
Cardinals vs Texans Best Bet
- Texans -10.5 (-110)
Cardinals vs Texans Betting Trends
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