The Carolina Panthers will look to jump out to another first-half lead and stay perfect on the season when they take on the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football. The Panthers (2-0) have led 16-0 over the Jets and 17-0 over the Saints at halftime of their first two games this season. The Texans (1-1) had a big first half in their opening-game win over the Jaguars, but faded in the second half in Sunday’s loss at Cleveland. Carolina has won the last three matchups with the Texans, including a 16-10 win at Houston in the last meeting in 2019.
Kickoff from NRG Stadium in Houston is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Carolina is an eight-point favorite in the latest Panthers vs. Texans odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 43. Before you make any Texans vs. Panthers picks, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,800 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. It went a sizzling 24-14 on top-rated NFL picks last season, returning more than $800. The model also enters Week 3 of the 2021 season on an incredible 122-81 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has simulated Panthers vs. Texans 10,000 times and just revealed its NFL expert picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Panthers vs. Texans:
- Panthers vs. Texans spread: Panthers -8
- Panthers vs. Texans over-under: 43 points
- Panthers vs. Texans money line: Houston +320, Carolina -420
- CAR: Panthers are 7-0 against the spread in their last seven road games
- HOU: Over has hit in the Texans’ last four games
Why the Panthers can cover
The Panthers have had success through the air this season and are led by running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver D.J. Moore. The latter has 159 receiving yards and one touchdown, averaging 11.4 yards per catch. He also has three explosive plays of 20 or more yards and converted 10 first downs. Moore had a team-high eight receptions for 79 yards and a score last week. He has 90 or more receiving yards in two of his last three games against AFC South opponents.
Wide receiver Robby Anderson played well against the Texans in his only game against them. He caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown when he was with the New York Jets in 2018. He had five or more catches in six of eight road games last season. This year, he is the Panthers’ third-leading receiver by yardage with four receptions for 95 yards and a score. He has one explosive play and converted three first downs.
Why the Texans can cover
Like Carolina, Houston has a solid defense and is led by linebacker Zach Cunningham, who had six tackles last week and leads the NFL with 176 since 2020. He had 14 tackles and a tackle for loss in the last meeting with the Panthers. Cunningham leads Houston with 13 tackles on the season, including four solo. He also has one pass breakup. In his five-year career, all with Houston, he has registered 516 tackles, including 330 solo, with 6.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 16 pass breakups and one interception he returned 38 yards for a touchdown.
Linebacker Christian Kirksey is also a beast on defense. Last Sunday, he had six tackles, one tackle for loss and one fumble recovery. He is one of three players in the NFL with an interception and a fumble recovery this season. The others are Jourdan Lewis of the Dallas Cowboys and Xavien Howard of the Miami Dolphins. He has a pass breakup in two of his three career games on Thursday Night Football.
How to make Panthers vs. Texans picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 45 points. In fact, it says Carolina’s Sam Darnold will throw for nearly 300 yards passing and two touchdowns, while Houston quarterback Davis Mills steps in to throw for more than 200 yards and one TD. It also says one side of the spread cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see which side to back here.
So who wins Texans vs. Panthers on Thursday Night Football? And which side cashes in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texans vs. Panthers spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $7,900 on its NFL picks, and find out.
