Houston Texans Vs Denver Broncos: Las Vegas Line & Pick Against the Spread

Houston Texans Look to Salvage a Season Lost as They Take on Denver Broncos

Todd Jacobs, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Dec 19, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

The Houston Texans have frittered away countless games this season and now they look to finish strong December 26th against the Denver Broncos in Denver. Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak head into a game against his old team the Denver Broncos amid rumors he could be on the short list of head coach candidates for the Broncos.

Tim Tebow looked solid in his debut for the Denver Broncos as a starting quarterback against the Oakland Raiders but he appeared to tire late in the game and the fourth quarter was all Oakland Raiders. The Houston Texans went to Nashville and were spanked by the Tennessee Titans in yet another loss for the disappointing Texans.

Houston Texans Offense vs Denver Broncos Defense

The departure of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and a failure to close games has made this Houston Texans offense look shaky all season. The emergence of Arian Foster and the running game this season has coincided with the deterioration of the Houston Texans passing offense.

Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, once the number one quarterback to wide receiver combination in the NFL, have failed to find the chemistry to succeed this season. The Houston Texans are averaging 250 yards per game through the air but that is 50 yards per game less than last season. Look for this game to be more of the same. Arian Foster will get the work load again in this game against a weak run defense for the Denver Broncos.

Champ Bailey is the best player on this Denver Broncos defense. Bailey is the among one of NFL's best shut down corners and he will be matched up with Andre Johnson. Schaub and the Houston Texans will run the ball to set up the play action pass and Arian Foster will have plenty of holes against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. The Denver Broncos defense is giving up over 150 yards per game which is among the worst in the NFL. The Houston Texans offense has the edge over the Denver Broncos defense.

Denver Broncos Offense vs Houston Texans Defense

The offense of the Denver Broncos has been opposite of their style in previous years. They have developed into a pass happy offense under quarterback Kyle Orton but in their last game Tim Tebow was under center. The Denver Broncos running game has suffered with injuries to Knowshon Moreno but they have also failed to establish the run with anyone in the back field. The addition of Tim Tebow may be the answer to this issue.

One reason for the Houston Texans disappointing season is the defense. They rank among the worst in passing yards allowed but they have made progress over the last month and a half of the season. With the Denver Broncos looking to change their philosophy on offense this could be an interesting challenge for the Houston Texans porous defense.

Mario Williams is the wild card in this game and if he can flush Tebow or pressure him in this game it will be an interesting match up to watch. Brian Cushing has been another reason for the overall improvement of the Houston Texans defense against the pass also. Cushing has been a key factor over the middle of the field by limiting crossing routes from his linebacker position. The Houston Texans defense has the edge over the Denver Broncos offense.

Houston Texans -3 vs Denver Broncos: Pick Against the Spread & Breakdown

The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook has made the Houston Texans a three point road favorite over the Denver Broncos. Offense will be the key in this game since defense not be played all game. The Denver Broncos are 2-4 against the spread on their home field. The Houston Texans are 3-4 against the spread as the visiting team. Take the team with the well rounded offense. Take the Houston Texans -3 over the Denver Broncos.