Texans vs. Patriots: TV Schedule, Odds, Ticket Info, Game Time and More

The Miracle on Ice. Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson. Super Bowl III.

We've seen incredible upsets in sports before. It may look unlikely for the Houston Texans, who are 15-point underdogs in their AFC Divisional Round matchup against the New England Patriots as of this writing, to pull off the big win, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Here's a look at the basics for Saturday's tilt as well as a brief preview (and prediction) for the game.

Texans vs. Patriots Game Info

When: Saturday, Jan. 14, at 8:15 p.m. ET

Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

TV: CBS

Odds: Patriots (-15, 44.5 O/U), per OddsShark (as of Thursday, Jan. 12)

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Last Time Around

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The Pats beat the Texans 27-0 on Thursday Night Football in Week 3 despite starting rookie third-stringer Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, who was making his first career NFL start with Tom Brady (suspension) and Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder injury) out.

Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. His 41-yard TD rumble with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter put the final nail in Houston's coffin.

Brissett also rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Houston crossed midfield only twice and never got past the Patriots' 36-yard line. Running back Lamar Miller led all Texans rushers with 80 yards, and DeAndre Hopkins topped all receivers with 56 yards.

When Houston Has the Ball

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The Texans aerial attack showed a little life against Oakland in last Saturday's 27-14 triumph.

In the second quarter, with Houston up 13-3, quarterback Brock Osweiler found Hopkins with a beautiful 38-yard pass down the sideline to get the Texans to the Oakland 3-yard line. Two plays later, Osweiler hit Hopkins on a slant pattern for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.

Hopkins finished with five catches for 67 yards and a score. Those are not great numbers by any means, but given the struggles he and Osweiler have had getting on the same page this year, any momentum gained is welcome.

If the Texans are to have any chance Saturday, they need to hope the chemistry between Osweiler and Hopkins continues, as it's likely the Patriots will jump out to an early lead, forcing the Texans to go to the air to mount a comeback.

When New England Has the Ball

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The Patriots can beat teams pretty much any way they want.

They can put the ball in Blount's stomach 25-plus times and ask him to rumble for 100-plus yards and a score or two (see the Houston and Pittsburgh games).

They can put the ball in Brady's hands and ask him to throw deep to wide receiver Chris Hogan for a long, game-breaking score (see the Baltimore game).

They can put the ball in Brady's hands and ask him to dink and dunk to running backs Dion Lewis and James White, slot receiver Julian Edelman or tight end Martellus Bennett (see pretty much every Patriots win).

Basically, the Patriots do what they want, when they want, against any opponent.

With Brady out when these two teams last played, New England chose to make Blount the offensive focus.

With Brady back, the Patriots can choose whatever path they want to victory.

Special Teams

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Houston has one of the worst special teams units in the league. Per Football Outsiders, Houston ranked 30th of 32 NFL teams in weighted DVOA. New England finished sixth.

With that being said, Texans kicker Nick Novak made 35 field goals, which tied for second in the league. He punched in two against Oakland last Saturday.

Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski hit on "only" 84 percent of his field goals after three straight years of making over 90 percent of his tries, but he's still one of the best in the game.

Prediction

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If Houston beats New England, you'll see this game replayed on NFL Network as a classic for years.

But don't expect it to happen. New England is a better team in all three phases and is at home. The Pats also had the best point differential in the NFL this year (plus-191), while opponents have actually outscored Houston even though it is 10-7 (including playoffs).

There's just too much going in the Pats' favor.

Final score: Patriots 31, Texans 10