Texans open as underdogs on the road against Cincinnati in Week 10

Sunday’s game was a true roller coaster of emotions. The hope of a team that played well on offense, the dread when the opposing team would make adjustments. And then there was the comeback.

In previous years, leaving that much time for the Houston Texans to come back for a win would have been a laughable thought; a come-from-behind win? Sure, it’s happened before but it’s not the kind of thing you’d expect Texans teams of the recent past to accomplish.

But not only did they accomplish it, there was no doubt in my mind that when Stroud took the field that he could do it. It was the first time that my pessimistic nature didn’t completely take over and assume the game was over. Stroud had done it before and yesterday’s game only helped to cement his burgeoning legend.

Now the Texans go on the road as underdogs against a perennial AFC contender, the Cincinnati Bengals, with the Texans as a whopping 7-point underdog according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Opening Odds for Week 9

Points

FAVORED: Cincinnati Bengals (-7)
UNDERDOG: Houston Texans(+7)

Note: For those of you who aren’t aware of the meaning, the points are a handicap system. So in this case, imagine the game and before the kickoff even happens, someone has spotted the Texans 7 points.

So basically a point line, in this case, is giving the Texans a 7-0 head start. And the Texans have to win by at least three points to beat the spread. If they beat them by less than two points, the Bengals win the bet. Since the spread is a whole number, if the Bengals lose by two in the game, the bet would end with a push (or draw).

Over/Under: 46.5

Note: This one is pretty straightforward. You decide whether you think the total combined score will be more or less than 46.5 points.

Moneyline:

Cincinnati Bengals (-340)
Houston Texans (+270)

Note: This one is a little more complicated. The best way to imagine it is if you have $100 to bet initially. If you bet your $100 on the Texans and they win the game, you get $210 (your initial $100, plus the $110 from the win). If you take the Bengals moneyline, you have to bet $130 to win $100 for a total of $230 ($130 initial bet, plus the $100 you get from the win).

For entertainment purposes only. Please do not take financial advice from a football blog.

Go Texans.