Lions vs. Texans odds, predictions, picks and best bets

Two of the top teams in their respective conferences will clash on Sunday Night Football as the Detroit Lions travel to Houston to take on the Texans.

The Lions are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winners of their last six games. They won four of those matchups by double-digit margins. Quarterback Jared Goff is playing like an MVP candidate, completing a whopping 75 percent of his passes and a league-best 8.7 yards per completion. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs make up one of the best running back duos in the league with the sixth ranked rushing offense.

Detroit's offense gets most of the spotlight, but its defense is very good in its own right, ranking seventh against the run and fifth in points allowed. The Lions just beefed up their pass rush by acquiring defensive end Za'Darius Smith in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. Smith has five sacks on the season and should pick up the slack left behind from injured star pass rush Aiden Hutchinson.

The Texans are coming off a disappointing road loss to the New York Jets last week and have dropped two of their last three games. Being without their top two receivers in Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs has been a huge blow to their offense. Houston also has multiple starters on defense battling through numerous ailments.

The Texans' defense has carried the team through its offensive struggles, ranking third in the NFL against the pass and second in total yards. Offensively, the Texans will need to lean on their running game led by Joe Mixon, who is averaging over 100 rushing yards per game. 

Let's take a look at the best odds and best bets for this matchup.

*Odds from bet365 and subject to change

Lions vs. Texans Moneyline

Lions: -190
Texans: +160

The Lions have one of the deepest and most well rounded-rosters in the NFL. It's going to take an equally impressive roster, or the Lions having an off-day execution wise, to beat them.

The latter will be the Texans' best chance, but with all their injuries they just don't have enough firepower to hang with Detroit. I'm picking the Lions to win and also cover the spread, so I'll avoid the moneyline. 

Lions vs. Texans Spread

Lions: -3.5 (-110)
Texans: +3.5 (-110)

I can envision the Texans putting up a valiant effort through three quarters, but I think the Lions will put the game away in the fourth and cover the 3.5-point spread.

Lions vs. Texans Over-Under 49 points

Over: -110
Under: -110

Quarterback C.J. Stroud is struggling to mightily without Collins and Diggs, and although Mixon is playing well, Detroit has a solid run defense. The Lions will play well enough on offense to win, but Houston's defense is good enough to keep them in check a bit. Bet the under.