Houston Texans Underdogs To Slow Tennessee Titans

NFL News - November 17th, 2009 - Written by John

About three weeks ago, a brief scan of the calender would've found one glaring faux pas in the Week 11 slate. The Tennessee Titans were a miserable 0-6, being blown out by the likes of Jacksonville, yet here they were scheduled to host the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football on the same week as New England's rematch with the Jets and a critical division game between the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.

But what a difference a few weeks can make. Vince Young has revitalized the offense, Chris Johnson became the first to reach 1,000 rushing yards, and owner Bud Adams made headlines with his salute to the Buffalo Bills. Suddenly, Monday night appears to be a must-see game that is typically promised by Hank Williams, Jr. between two teams jockeying for position in the AFC South.

The Titans resurgence makes them 4 1/2 point favorites, according to BetUS, and a 48-point total is presumed.

Johnson told the media two weeks ago that his team could very well win 10 games in a row and reach the playoffs that were a foregone conclusion at the start of the season. Winning on Monday would go a long way in support, although games against Indianapolis and San Diego ahead make it still unlikely. The Titans defense, which plummeted to among the league's worst at the beginning of the year, has picked back up, indicated by two crucial interceptions late last week that secured a win over the Bills.

Since being throttled for 59 points by the Patriots in Week Six, Tennessee has only allowed 18 points per game, all wins.

Houston, however, has had two weeks to prepare for the Titans, and have just an offense that is equally explosive. After nearly beating the Colts on the road, Houston is 5-4 for the second time in team history, and Matt Schaub is the sixth-rated passer with five 300-yard games. Andre Johnson has four 100-yard games this year through the air.

The Texans' running game has also picked up. Despite being benched due to fumbles, Steve Slaton has a touchdown in three of his last four and Ryan Moats is running at a 4.1-yard per clip.

Surprisingly, the underdog has covered the spread nine out of the last 12 meetings, and a high-scoring game is likely. Tennessee has played the over in six of it's last eight home games, and Houston is 20-7 hitting the under against divisional teams recently.

If you are looking to place a well informed bet on the upcoming game or any others in Week 11 be sure to drop by our NFL Week 11 Betting Odds page for more information and odds on all the games.

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