Carolina Panthers vs Houston Texans Picks, Predictions Odds & Lines

• Rich Caesar
• September 22, 2021

The Panthers have a strong defense. They are tied for first place in the NFC South with two wins and no losses so far. On Thursday Night Football, they play against the Texans who have one win and one loss. The Carolina Panthers square off against the Houston Texans for Thursday Nights football betting action at NRG Stadium on September 23, 8:20 PM EST.

Carolina Panthers vs Houston Texans Odds & Line Movement

The Panthers were 4.5-point favorites last week but jumped to 7.5-point chalk following their victory over the Saints and Tyrod Taylor’s season-ending injury for the Texans. The total was decreased by a small amount, moving down to 43.5 at BetOnline Sportsbook at the time of publishing.

Carolina is 7-0 ATS in its past seven road games. The UNDER is 5-0 in Carolina’s last 5 contests. As an underdog, Houston is 4-0 ATS in its last four games.

Notes On The Carolina Panthers

The Panthers defense is the best in the NFL. They are good at stopping both the pass and the run, and they allow few points. Last week, they held the Saints to their fewest yards when Sean Payton was head coach. The Panthers won 26-7, which made it five games in a row when they played UNDER the total.The Panthers have been playing good defense. This has made it easier for Sam Darnold to do well. He played better last week and threw two touchdowns, but he also threw one interception that resulted in a touchdown for the Saints.

Carolina might have a problem with their kicking game right now. Zane Gonzalez missed an extra point and had a field goal blocked last week in his Panthers debut. Carolina released Ryan Santoso after the first game of the season.

Notes On The Houston Texans

Taylor is injured and not playing this week. He might be able to play the next game. So we can see if we can see Watson, who was hurt too.

But Coach David Culley said that the Houston Texans will keep Watson on the inactive list. If Taylor can’t get better by Thursday, then rookie Davis Mills would likely start his first NFL game. Jeff Driskel would be his backup.

Mills played the second half of the game against Cleveland and threw 102 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He then helped Houston earn their second point spread cover in two games.

The Texans were already without tight end Antony Auclair and receivers Nico Collins and Danny Amendola. They got worse because of injuries. This is a problem because there is not much time to recover before the next game on a short week.

Pick & Prediction: Carolina Panthers -7.5

In a division game at Mile High Stadium, J.J. Watt’s layover of a touchdown on the road isn’t exactly a long-term formula for success in NFL betting, but Houston’s quarterback problems and a short week to prepare make it the way to go.