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Browns vs Texans: AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Two teams with not much postseason success will collide on Saturday in the AFC Wild Card Game as the Houston Texans host the Cleveland Browns at the NRG Stadium.
Cleveland Browns season recap
The Cleveland Browns are in the postseason for just the third time since 1999. They finished the season second in the AFC North with an 11-6 record. They started three different quarterbacks in the first 11 weeks of the season before turning to veteran Joe Flacco, who made things happen for the Browns. Cleveland won 4 of the 5 games with Flacco in charge, and he threw over 300 yards in all four wins. Cleveland is an excellent defensive team, allowing a league-low 270.2 yards per game. They are ranked second with 4.8 allowed yards per play and are first with 18.1 allowed completions per game. Offensively, the Browns are 11th with 23.3 points per game and 16th in the league with 335.9 yards per game.
Houston Texans season recap
The Houston Texans finished the regular season on top of the AFC South with a 10-7 record. They closed the season in a strong manner, leaving the Tennessee Titans with only 3 points and beating the Indianapolis Colts in the last week by 23-19. Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud was the difference maker for the Texans, who combined for seven wins in the previous two seasons and are now back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Stroud is 8th in the league with 4,108 yards and is tied for 13th place with 23 touchdowns. Houston is 13th in the league, scoring 22.2 points per game, and is ranked second, allowing only 3.5 rushing yards per attempt.
Betting Trends
The Browns have played under the total point line in 6 of 17 games this season, while the Texans are a total opposite staying under in 11 of 17 games this season. Houston has also played under the line in 4 of their last 5 home games.
What happened in Week 16?
The Browns defeated the Texans 36-22 in Week 16 of the regular season. Amari Cooper set a franchise record with 265 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns to lead Cleveland to the win. CJ Stroud was out with an injury for the Texans while Joe Flacco threw for 368 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Injury Reports
K Dustin Hopkins and WR Cedric Tillman are out for the Browns while the Texans will miss DE Jerry Hughes.
Prediction and Conclusion
This is the biggest game for both teams in recent history. They turned things around this season and will go all-in on the AFC Wild Card game. The Browns dominated the Texans in Week 16, but that doesn’t mean much since CJ Stroud is back in the lineup for Houston. The total point line is quite low at 44.5, but given the fact that both teams score around 23 points per game and that the importance of the game will take its toll, this game should stay under the given line.
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