NFL Week 7 Picks Against the Spread: Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans

Revenge is an important factor to handicap when making against-the-spread (ATS) football picks on a weekly basis, which certainly comes into play with the Houston Texans hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon, with the opening kickoff from Reliant Stadium scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Texans are 6.5-point home favorites in the current Week 7 pro football betting odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total has settled in at 48.

Texans running back Arian Foster figures to play an important part in determining a winner in this contest, considering he gained 132 yards on 27 carries in last year's 20-13 playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens as 7.5-point road underdogs.

Let's take a closer look at this high-profile affair from a betting perspective, while providing a prediction along the way.  

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens will need a huge performance out of quarterback Joe Flacco to pull off the upset Sunday, considering the defense is dealing with a multitude of injuries.

Sports bettors may find the Ravens as an attractive option at this price, as they've gone 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games as a road underdog.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have a great opportunity to bounce back from their first loss of the season, as they've won 10 of their last 15 games as a home favorite.

In their last 12 wins in that particular situation, the Texans have compiled an impressive 9-1-2 ATS record, covering the spread by an average of 12.0 points per game.

Las Vegas Perspective

I reached out to Jimmy Vaccaro earlier this week about this high-profile affair. He serves as the public relations director for William Hill US, and here's what he had to say:

"

No Ray Lewis makes the Ravens a winner for the week.  He's been hampering them as opposed to helping them. That, and the Texans are a bit overrated right now.

"

Prediction

I'm going to recommend that readers back the Houston Texans in this spot, as they improve to 18-5 ATS at home versus winning road teams.

Despite last year's seven-point loss to the Ravens in last year's AFC playoffs, it's important to note that Sunday's host won the statistical battle by an 88-yard margin in that contest—without the services of starting quarterback Matt Schaub.

Revenge is fulfilled in the Lone Star State.

NFL Week 7 Pick: Houston Texans -6.5

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