Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans Odds, Analysis, NFL Betting Pick

The Houston Texans (0-1) will be on the road for the second consecutive week on Sunday when they visit the Tennessee Titans (0-1) as small underdogs at sportsbooks. The Texans and Titans both lost by identical 27-20 scores away from home last week, with the former falling to the New England Patriots and the latter to the Miami Dolphins.

NFL point spread: The Texans opened as 2.5-point favorites; the total was 45.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 21.1-21.0 Texans (NFL picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news.

Why the Texans can cover the spread

First of all, Houston has won nine of the past 12 meetings with Tennessee, according to the OddsShark NFL Database. The Texans also have nothing to be ashamed about in losing to the defending AFC champion Patriots 27-20 in Week 1. They battled back in the second half and outscored the Patriots 14-6 to almost cover the spread as 6.5-point road underdogs.

That said, Houston will have an easier opponent this week, but it is a divisional foe who will not be underestimated by either the coaches or players.

Why the Titans can cover the spread

The Titans also lost 27-20 to the Dolphins in a game that featured two lightning delays and was the longest since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger at a little more than seven hours. Like the Texans, they had their moments and simply could not come through at the end of a game that closed as a pick'em.

Tennessee now returns home to host a Houston team that has lost eight straight games on the road by an average margin of 13 points. The Titans made the playoffs last season and obviously do not want to regress in this spot by dropping to 0-2, so look for them to play harder for their home fans on Sunday.

Smart betting pick

The status of Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota (elbow) is worth monitoring closely before betting on this AFC South matchup, but he did practice on Wednesday and looks like he will be able to start barring any setbacks. That is great news for the Titans, although the Texans also have a dangerous offensive weapon under center in Deshaun Watson.

Five of Tennessee's last seven home games have gone over the total, and this one will also finish above the number in another high-scoring affair.

NFL betting trends

The Texans are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games against the Titans.

The total has gone over in five of the Titans' last seven games at home.

The Titans are 1-5 SU in their last six games at home in September.

All NFL odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.