Patriots vs. Texans game picks, best bets for Week 5 NFL season

There really are no easy games in the NFL—any given Sunday and all that. But for the New England Patriots at the Houston Texans this week, it’s about as close as it comes. It might be tempting to look at this and see a so-called trap game too, but with Bill Belichick at the helm, the Patriots are rarely susceptible to that. Even at 1-3, the Patriots shouldn’t have any problems in this one.

Here, we’ll take a look at our picks for best bets for the New England Patriots-Houston Texans matchup in Week 5 of the NFL season. Odds come via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Patriots vs. Texans Week 5 odds

Spread: Patriots -8.5
Point total: 39.5
Moneyline: Patriots -410, Texans +310

Our picks for Patriots vs. Texans

Pick against the spread: Patriots -8.5

Those big spreads can be a little tricky, but the Texans are coming off a 40-0 loss at the hands of the Bills last week. And even with a 2-2 record against the spread, Houston’s been especially bad in October, covering just six of their last seven in the year’s 10th month.

Over/under: Under 39.5

All four of the Patriots’ games this season have hit under the point total. The Texans have actually been a little better, seeing two of their games going over. But Houston’s had just two touchdowns since Davis Mills took over at quarterback for an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2. He had four picks last week against the Bills. Look for New England to fit snugly back into its conservative game plan this week.

Preferred player prop: Damien Harris over 69.5 rushing yards (-110)

Harris has had two down weeks after a strong start to the season. Last week, he ended up with -4 yards against the Bucs. He had just 14 the week before that, but he had 162 yards in the first two games of the season. Houston is allowing an average of more than 157 rushing yards per game this season, so look for the Patriots to lean into the running game this week.

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