The final game of the 2023 NFL preseason features the Houston Texans taking on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night. While most starters on both sides will be limited, this should still be an entertaining game. Sportsbooks offer Texans vs. Saints odds and props for those looking to place a football bet, and we will give our best prediction.
As of Friday afternoon, the Saints are priced around 2.5-point favorites, with the total sitting around 37.5 on most NFL oddsboards.
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NFL Preseason Odds: Texans vs. Saints Spread, Moneyline, and Total
Here are the Texans vs. Saints odds from the top US sports betting apps.
Texans’ head coach, DeMeco Ryans, has already stated that the starters will play a few series in this game. While they have not announced who will be the Week 1 starting quarterback, No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud will get the start in this game.
This will serve as his final audition for the starting role. Stroud has not played a ton in the preseason, and in his limited action, he has not produced a lot, but he showed a lot of improvement in his second preseason game after an uninspiring debut in Week 1.
Oh, that's pretty. Another great ball, with not a lot of space to put it. pic.twitter.com/QloLK1heHX
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) August 21, 2023
Meanwhile, the Saints will not play most starters, including new quarterback Derek Carr. There is no official word on guys like Chris Olave, Marshon Lattimore, and Alvin Kamara‘s availability in this game, but even if they do play, it will not be for long.
The Saints are one of six undefeated teams this preseason, thanks to their deep quarterback room. Veteran Jameis Winston and rookie Jake Haener have both put up two solid performances, and they have a young and talented skill room to play with.
New Orleans’ second-string defense has been a little shaky through the preseason, but they are facing a Texans offense that has only scored 23 points through two games. With this game in New Orleans, it is easy to see why the Texans vs. Saints odds favor the Saints.
Texans vs. Saints Betting News & Trends
Dennis Allen is in his second season as Saints’ head coach and his sixth season as an NFL head coach overall. In 17 career preseason games, Allen is 7-10 ATS, including 3-2 as New Orleans’ coach, and a perfect 2-0 ATS record this season.
On the other side, Ryans is 1-1 ATS in his first preseason as head coach. He does not have a big enough sample size to judge his preseason betting trends, but with Houston playing its starters for a few drives, he should have an early edge in this game.
The Texans vs. Saints odds favor New Orleans to win at home, but the betting trends suggest Houston and the Under are the plays for this matchup.
- Houston is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 preseason games when playing as a road underdog.
- New Orleans is 4-6 ATS in its last 10 preseason games when playing as a home favorite.
- The total has gone UNDER in six of the last 10 preseason games when the Saints play as a home favorite.
Texans vs. Saints Prediction
In general, the preseason is where underdogs shine. This is because most bad teams are uncertain about the direction of the team and let the starters play much longer. That is the case for the Texans vs. Saints matchup, as Houston, while talented, is not expected to be a great team this season.
During last year’s preseason, the Texans and the Chicago Bears went 3-0 in the preseason, and they ended up being the two-worst teams by record in the NFL last season. You can stretch this trend even further, as the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns, both of which ended the regular season 0-16, went undefeated in the preseason.
While the Saints have looked sharp in the preseason, Houston will have more talent on the field to begin the game. If they can jump out to an early lead, the trends show that it will be hard for the Saints to catch up.
Houston also has some experience behind their starters, especially at quarterback. When Stroud’s day is done, the Texans will turn to last year’s starter, Davis Mills, and long-time veteran Case Keenum to finish the job.
Backing the underdog in the preseason has been highly profitable, and we will ride with that for the final preseason game.
Texans vs. Saints prediction: Texans +3 via Caesars Sportsbook
Texans vs. Saints Props
The preseason allows bettors to shake off the rust heading into the regular season. However, most sportsbooks do not offer preseason player props. This is because it is too hard to predict which players will play and how long.
Instead, sports betting apps will offer odds on game props such as winning margin or game combos. If you are having trouble picking a side with the Texans vs. Saints odds and are looking for a bet with more value, we recommend you check out these preseason props.
Here, we have listed the best Texans vs. Saints props from FanDuel and BetRivers.
Texans vs. Saints Winning Margin Props (FanDuel)
Texans
- Win by 1-13 points: +180
- Win by 14+ points: +500
Saints
- Win by 1-13 points: +160
- Win by 14+ points: +350
Texans vs. Saints Game Combos (BetRivers)
Moneyline & Point Total Combo
- Saints & Under 37.5: +215
- Saints & Uver 37.5: +215
- Texans & Under 37.5: +295
- Texans & Over 37.5: +295
Spread & Point Total Combo
- Saints (-2.5) & Under 37.5: +240
- Saints (-2.5) & Over 37.5: +240
- Texans (+2.5) & Under 37.5: +265
- Texans (+2.5) & Over 37.5: +265
How to Watch Texans vs. Saints
Date: Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023
Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Caesars Superdome — New Orleans, LA
Where to Watch: Fox
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