Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

The Houston Texans (3-2) are desperate for a victory this week against the Baltimore Ravens (3-1) after dropping a home game last week against the Oakland Raiders.

The Baltimore Ravens are off to a hot start and will be hoping to keep that start rolling against a team who is dropping like flies.

The Texans have lost both Andre Johnson and Mario Williams to injuries over the past few weeks, which will certainly affect them on both sides of the ball.

When: Sunday, October 16th at 4:05 p.m. EDT

Where: M&T Bank Stadium

Watch: CBS, DirecTV Sunday Ticket 707

Betting Line: Baltimore (-8)

It's tough to pick a side in this game, but at this point, it's tough to bet on Matt Schaub without Andre Johnson.

The Ravens will look to win this game with defense. They already have 12 sacks through four games, and will look to bring the pressure on Schaub, who has struggled greatly under pressure this year.

He has completed just 52 percent of his passes under pressure, and is going to find the sledding tough against the Ravens.

Look for Ray Rice to pick up plenty of yards to carry the offense this week, much like Darren McFadden did last week for the Raiders.

With home-field advantage, the Ravens should cover the eight-point spread.

Over/Under: 45

Both of these defenses have played well to this point in the season, so it's tough to expect these teams to put up huge numbers this week.

The Ravens are only giving up 14.3 points per game, while the Texans are only giving up 19 points per game. Even if these teams have an off-day defensively, the score still won't go over.

Houston Injury Report

Player	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
Andre Johnson	WR	Hamstring	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
James Casey	RB	Chest	Did Not Participate In Practice	Doubtful
Jason Allen	CB	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Thomas Austin	G	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Mike Brisiel	G	Ankle	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Tim Dobbins	LB	Hamstring	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Joel Dreessen	TE	Hip	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Garrett Graham	TE	Hamstring	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Brandon Harris	CB	Hamstring	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Kareem Jackson	CB	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Jacoby Jones	WR	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Johnathan Joseph	CB	Calf	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Brice McCain	CB	Hamstring	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Sherrick McManis	CB	Hamstring	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Antonio Smith	DE	Ankle	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Ben Tate	RB	Groin	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Kevin Walter	WR	Illness	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Derrick Ward	RB	Ankle	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Arian Foster	RB	Quadricep	Limited Participation in Practice	Probable
Bryant Johnson	WR	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	Probable
DeMeco Ryans	LB	Elbow	Limited Participation in Practice	Probable
Matt Schaub	QB	right Shoulder	Limited Participation in Practice	Probable

Baltimore Injury Report

Player	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
Chris Carr	CB	Thigh	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Lee Evans	WR	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Jimmy Smith	CB	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Tom Zbikowski	S	Head	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Ben Grubbs	G	Toe	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Anthony Allen	RB	Thigh	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Dannell Ellerbe	LB	Thigh	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Haruki Nakamura	S	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
David Reed	WR	Shoulder	Full Participation in Practice	Probable

Fantasy Big Plays

Baltimore Defense

In Matt Schaub's first full game without Andre Johnson he threw two interceptions. The Oakland Raiders are not nearly as effective as the Ravens are at creating turnovers, so Ravens owners should expect another multi-turnover game from Schaub.

If Ed Reed hauls in an interception, you can all but guarantee that he takes it to the house.

Ray Rice

The Houston Texans are ranked 12th in the NFL against the run, but they gave up huge chunks of yards to Darren McFadden last week.

McFadden and Rice are both stars that are seemingly unstoppable. Rice should take advantage of the Texans both on the ground and through the air en route to a big victory.

Keys To Victory for Houston

The Texans are going to need to protect Matt Schaub if they are going to have success. The Ravens have a knack for getting pressure on the QB and creating plenty of turnovers.

If the Ravens can consistently get pressure on the QB, it's going to be a long day for Schaub and company.

They are going to have to run the ball well, but it's not going to be easy against the No. 2 ranked run defense. It's going to be a long day for the Texans offense, but they are going to have to be effective for this team to have any chance.

Keys To Victory for Baltimore

The Ravens likely watched Darren McFadden pick up solid yards last week against the Texans and will try to do the same thing with Ray Rice this week.

If Rice can pick up solid yards, and keep the Texans offense off the field, they should have no problem coming away with a victory.


Prediction

Houston Texans 17
Baltimore Ravens 27