Texans vs Jets NFL Week 9 TNF picks

The Houston Texans have won four of their last five and take to the road again for the third time in the past 18 days when they travel to MetLife Stadium Thursday night to face the lowly New York Jets, losers of five straight. Houston is currently 6-2 and leads the Indianapolis Colts by two games in the AFC North. With the prolonged losing streak, the Jets now sit in the AFC East basement with the New England Patriots, who beat them on Sunday, 25-22.

Read below for our experts’ predictions for this contest.

Texans vs Jets Predictions

Pick #1: Houston Texans +2 vs New York Jets (-110)

Pick #2: Under 42 Points (-110)

Pick #3: Joe Mixon 90+ Rushing Yards (+150)

Pick #1: Texans +2 vs Jets (-110)

The current spread reflects the Texans’ extended period on the road recently, as well as doubt about their receiving corps after Stefon Diggs’ knee injury Sunday against Indianapolis. Diggs is out for the season with a torn ACL, and the team is already without leading WR Nico Collins, who is on injured reserve. QB C.J. Stroud has not performed well away from home this season either. Two weeks ago, in Green Bay, Stroud went 10-for-21 for 86 yards in a 24-22 loss to the Packers. He’s averaging just 181.8 yards passing on the road, as opposed to 305.5 yards at home this season. 

Combine that with the Jets top-10 defense, and it’s easy to see why there is confidence in New York ending its five-game losing streak Thursday night. However, New York appears to be in disarray right now, losing five straight, including three losses in a row since the firing of head coach Robert Saleh. The last-minute loss in New England Sunday may have been the low point. 

Houston is 5-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less, while New York has lost four straight one-score games. New York is 2-6 against the spread this season, including 0-5 ATS in its last five games. Although Stroud hasn't been at his best on the road, Houston can rely on their run game to get the job done in a close contest and extend the Jets’ misery.

Pick #2: Under 42 Points (-110)

Both teams feature strong defenses with high-level pass rushes. The Texans are thin at wide receiver, and the Jets have not shown that they can fully unlock their offense. The last time the Jets played on Thursday night, they combined for just 27 points in a 24-3 win over New England.

Houston has played to the under six times in eight games this season, while the Jets have played to the under twice in three games at home. With Houston most likely relying heavily on Joe Mixon and controlling the ball, look for a game with 35-40 points, so I expect the game to finish just Under. 

Pick #3: Joe Mixon 90+ Rushing Yards (+150)

One area of the Texans offense that will not be a question mark Thursday night is Mixon, who has been a marquee free agent signing. The former Cincinnati Bengal leads Houston with 503 yards and five touchdowns rushing despite missing 3+ games with an ankle injury earlier this season. Since returning from that injury, Mixon has topped 100 yards in three straight games, including 102 on 25 carries in a 23-20 victory over the Colts this past Sunday. In the four games Mixon started and finished, he averaged nearly 120 yards on the ground. 

The Jets defense, as good as it is overall, is middle of the pack when it comes to stopping the run. They are allowing 125.6 yards on the ground per game, numbers that will make Mixon happy tomorrow night. Look for Mixon to top 90 yards for the fifth time this season. If you feel confident, you can bump those odds considerably by taking Mixon at 100+ yards rushing at a +225 price.  

MIXON TO GET A TUDDY