Ravens vs. Texans Prediction, Odds, Spread, Injuries, Trends for NFL Week 17

Iain MacMillan | Dec 23, 2024

The Ravens are road favorites in Houston on Christmas. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The second NFL Christmas Day game is an AFC showdown between two playoff teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.

The Texans have already locked up the AFC South, but the Ravens are still in the midst of a tough battle with the Steelers for the AFC North crown. A win on Wednesday will go a long way in winning the division for the second straight year.

Let's dive into everything we need to know to bet on this Christmas Day matchup.

Ravens vs. Texas Odds, Spread, and Total for Christmas Day

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Ravens -3.5 (-108)
• Texans +3.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Ravens -185
• Texans +154

Total

• OVER 47.5 (-110)
• UNDER 47.5 (-110)

Ravens vs. Texans How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, December 25
• Time: 4:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: NRG Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): Netflix
• Ravens record: 10-5
• Texans record: 9-6

Ravens vs. Texans Betting Trends

• The OVER is 9-2 in the Ravens' last 11 games
• Ravens are 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. Texans
• The OVER is 8-1 in the Ravens' last nine road games
• Ravens are 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. AFC South opponents
• The UNDER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between these two teams
• Texans are 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games as underdogs

Ravens vs. Texans Injury Reports

Ravens Injury Report

• Nelson Agholor, WR - Questionable
• Justice Hill, RB - Questionable
• Zay Flowers, WR - Questionable
• Tre'Davious White, CB - Questionable
• Tyler Linderbaum, C - Questionable

Texans Injury Report

• Will Anderson Jr., DE - Questionable
• John Metchie III, WR - Questionable
• Christian Harris, LB - Questionable
• Denico Autry, DE - Questionable
• Tank Dell, WR - Out

Ravens vs. Texans Key Players to Watch

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson: The Ravens' quarterback is once again posting MVP-esque numbers and closed the gap on Josh Allen after Week 16 action. With another standalone game on tap for Jackson and the Ravens, he can take another step toward his third MVP if he has a strong performance against the Texans, especially if Allen stumbles against the Jets.

Houston Texans

Nico Collins: The Texans need their star receiver now more than ever. With Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell out for the season and John Metchie III questionable, he and Robert Woods are the only viable options at receivers. Collins will see a ton of targets on Wednesday and for the Texans to win, they'll need him to step up in a big way.

Ravens vs. Texans Prediction and Pick

Both teams are dealing with wide receiver issues which could cause issues on Wednesday. The Texans have lost Tank Dell for the season and with John Metchie III questionable, they may be down to just Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and Xavier Hutchinson as the only viable options at the position. Zay Flowers of the Ravens also missed practice on Sunday as he deals with a shoulder injury that could keep him out from Wednesday's game.

On top of the offensive injuries, these two defenses have been two of the best in the NFL lately. Since Week 11, the Ravens rank fourth in opponent EPA per play and first in opponent success rate. The Texans' defense ranks fifth in opponent EPA per play and fourth in opponent success rate in that same time frame.

With all of that in mind, I think a total of 47.5 is a tad too high in this one.

Pick: UNDER 47.5 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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