Texans Visit Patriots In Monday Night Football Matchup

By: Michael Robinson | Friday, December 7, 2012

Houston Texans at New England Patriots
NFL Betting Preview
Date: 12/10/2012 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)
Opening Lines: New England -4½, O/U 53
(click for latest NFL odds)
Television: ESPN

Houston Texans: The Texans (11-1 straight-up, 8-4 against the spread) have a 1½-game lead over everyone else in the AFC, and a win would put them in great shape for the No. 1 seed. Coach Gary Kubiak’s team has won six straight (4-2 ATS) after a 24-10 win at Tennessee as 7-point favorites. Houston was very fortunate the previous two weeks with overtime wins over Jacksonville and Detroit. The pass defense has been very vulnerable the last three games despite mediocre competition. Facing New England quarterback Tom Brady and his pass attack won’t be easy this week with starting cornerback Johnathan Joseph and second-string Alan Ball both questionable, plus slot corner Brice McCain just going on injured reserve. Pass rusher Brooks Reed is also out, so make sure to check the updated NFL injury report.

New England Patriots: The Patriots (9-3 SU, 7-5 ATS) have also won six straight (3-3 ATS) after a 23-16 victory at Miami as 8-point favorites. That game went "under" the 51-point total after the "over" was 9-0 in their previous nine. The NFL’s top-ranked scoring offense (35.8 points per game) has a lot to do with that "over" stat. The Patriots did just lose receiver/punt returner Julian Edelman (foot) for the year, but defensive end Chandler Jones and guard Logan Mankins are probable to return after missing games. This is the first meeting between the teams since January 2010 and just the third since 2003. Houston is 0-4 ATS in its last four Monday night games while New England is 4-0 ATS in its last four and 10-1 SU in its past 11 MNF appearances.

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