Houston Texans vs. Las Vegas Raiders Odds, Spread, Preview: NFL Week 7 Predictions

By Lawrence Smelser

Houston Texans vs. Las Vegas Raiders Week 7 matchup preview and current betting lines

Las Vegas and Houston had very different expectations entering the 2022 season. Currently, the two sit at similar records needing to climb out of the abyss filled with losing teams. 

The Raiders (1-4) narrowly lost in the Wildcard during last year’s playoffs to Cincinnati. The team’s upper brass brought in All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to try and improve the offense. Adams is Derek Carr’s former college teammate at Fresno State.

Vegas is scoring more with Adams but is still finding ways to lose close games. The silver and black are coming off a bye week, but prior to it, suffered a gutting 30-29 loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

With 4:27 left to play in the fourth quarter, Derek Carr found Adams for a 48-yard touchdown to cut the score to 30-29. Head coach Josh McDaniels opted to go for a two-point conversion (failed) rather than kick the extra point. 

Carr and the Raiders received the ball back and faced a 4th and 1 from their 46 yard line. The 31-year-old heaved the ball up for Adams on a deep route but unfortunately fellow receiver Hunter Renfrow collided with the receiver and knocked him down, which ended the contest.

After the game, Adams went viral across the internet for shoving a photographer on the ground as he headed into the tunnel towards the locker room. The 29-year-old was charged with misdemeanor assault but has yet to be reprimanded by commissioner Roger Goodell and the league office.

Raiders’ WR Davante Adams moments after the Raiders loss to the Chiefs: pic.twitter.com/lEjoOHS7x2

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2022

McDaniels was brought in during the offseason to try and replicate the Super Bowl runs he had with New England after Jon Gruden was fired during the 2021 season. The only problem is Vegas doesn’t have Tom Brady or Bill Belichick within its organization. McDaniels’ previous head coaching stint was with the Broncos, where he finished with a 12-17 record.

Houston (1-3-1) surprisingly has a better record than Las Vegas. The Texans also had a bye last week but won their week 5 matchup, 13-6 versus the Jaguars. 

The defense limited Doug Pederson’s offense to just two field goals. Lovie Smith has continued to put the weight of the offense on rookie running back Dameon Pierce’s shoulders. The rookie scored the only touchdown of the afternoon and added 99 yards rushing. 

Oddsmakers at PointsBet Sportsbook are favoring the Raiders by seven points. On the moneyline, Las Vegas is -303 and Houston is +260. Bettors have put 85% of their money on the Texans to cover and 91% of it on the Raiders to win straight up. 

Players to watch in the Texans vs. Raiders contest

Houston

Nico Collins: After being drafted in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft, Collins was supposed to be a weapon for the Texans. The Michigan product missed three games and had trouble breaking out. This season, Collins leads the team in receiving with 272 yards on 15 catches. The 23-year-old will try and score a touchdown Sunday for the first time this season.

Las Vegas

Josh Jacobs: The former first-round pick has recorded at least 144 yards rushing in his last two outings. The Alabama star also had three touchdowns in those games. Jacobs has 490 rushing yards this season (3rd in the NFL) and is averaging 5.4 yards per tote. He’ll aim to keep things rolling against the 30th-ranked Houston run defense allowing 164.8 yards per game.

Our NFL bet of the week for the Texans vs. Raiders

ESTNN is providing wagerers with two free selections for this game.

Houston vs. Las Vegas Spread: Las Vegas -7 @ -110

On paper, the Raiders are a good team but have certainly played down to the level of their competition this year. The team’s record below indicates how close the games have been. On average, the Raiders have lost by 3.5 points against its opponents. 

Chargers 24-19 (L)

Cardinals 29-23 (L)

Titans 24-22 (L)

Broncos 32-23 (W)

Chiefs 30-29 (L)

McDaniels’ squad is 10th in the NFL in total offense (360.6 yards per game) and sixth in scoring offense (25 points per contest). Defensively it’s been a struggle. Vegas is surrendering 359.2 yards per outing (22nd) and is allowing opponents to score an average of 26 points every week (28th). 

Statistically, Carr is playing slightly above average compared to the rest of the league. The former second-rounder has thrown for 1,279 yards, eight touchdowns, four interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 57.1 (12th).

His good friend Adams is also posting solid numbers. The WR1 has 29 receptions for 414 yards and five touchdowns, although, he only recorded 48 yards in the two losses against the Titans and Cardinals. It seems as if McDaniels has game-planned around the star in recent weeks. Adams is too talented to not be the focal point of the offense.

Houston has been a mess on both sides of the ball. On offense, its unit ranks 30th (291.2 YPG) and 26th in points per game (17.2). For total defense, the Texans rank second-last (414.2 YPG) and are surrendering 19.8 points per game (13th).

It’ll be difficult for Smith’s front seven to contain the Raiders’ rushing attack. Vegas is third in the league in rushing yards per attempt (5.3) and Houston is fourth-worst allowing 5.1 yards per carry.

The silver and black are 6-1 when rushing for 120 or more yards since the start of 2021 (4th). The Texans are allowing competitors to rush for 148.3 yards per outing since the beginning of last season (last in the NFL). 

Vegas’ questionable defensive unit shouldn’t have too much trouble facing Houston quarterback Davis Mills. The second-year pro has thrown for 1,048 yards, (22nd) five touchdowns, (24th) four interceptions and has the third-worst quarterback rating in the league (31.2).

The Raiders are 2-3 against the spread this season while the Texans are 1-3-1 ATS. Although, Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last six matchups with Las Vegas. 

Carr and company should come out desperate for a win. The Raiders are a better team on both fronts and at ESTNN we believe they will cover the 7-point spread. PointsBet is offering -110 spread odds on its sportsbook.

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Texans vs. Raiders odds: Dameon Pierce over 66.5 rushing yards @ -115

Houston drafted Dameon Pierce during the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft to be its work horse. In week 1, Pierce only recorded 11 carries for 33 yards. Texans head coach Lovie Smith stated after the game, “We need to get Dameon more touches.” 

The Texans have done exactly that. Since week 2, the Florida product is averaging 18.75 touches per contest with 379 yards (94.75 yards per game) and three touchdowns during the four-game span.

Below is Pierce’s game log for 2022-2023:

Week 1 vs. Indianapolis: 11 attempts for 33 yards

Week 2 at Denver: 15 attempts for 69 yards

Week 3 at Chicago: 20 attempts for 80 yards

Week 4 vs. Los Angeles (Chargers): 14 attempts for 131 yards

Week 5 at Jacksonville: 26 attempts for 99 yards

Aside from week 1 where he only received 11 carries, Pierce has gone over the 66.5 rushing-yard mark in every game. No matter the game script containing winning or losing situations, the 22-year-old is carrying the load. Pierce will face a Vegas defense that is allowing opponents to rush 103.2 yards per game on average. 

All signs point to Pierce being given the rock consistently on Sunday. Our pick is to take the over 66.5 rushing yards prop on BetMGM. The sportsbook is offering -115 odds for the bet. 

If you’re interested in learning about more prop bets for week 7, read our NFL player props page.

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