The Tennessee Titans (11-5) will travel to NRG Stadium in Week 18 to take on the Houston Texans (4-12) in a game that has a lot riding on it for head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad.
For the game, the Titans are massive 10.5-point favorites, according to Tipico Sportsbook, which is tied for the second-biggest spread of the Week 18 slate. The over/under sits at 43.5.
These two teams last met in Week 11 when the Texans notched a 22-13 upset victory over the Titans. Prior to that, Tennessee had won the last three meetings with Houston.
The Titans have already clinched the AFC South, but now have their sights set on winning the No. 1 seed, which they can do with a victory over the Texans.
Should Tennessee lose to Houston, it would need the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals to all lose in order to still secure the top spot.
Meanwhile, the Texans are just playing out the string in what was yet another disappointing, loss-filled season. Houston did, however, avoid finishing in last place, so there’s that.
One major thing we’re keeping an eye on is the status of Derrick Henry, who has a chance to return this week. Vrabel noted on Monday that the team is talking about potentially designating him to return from IR this week.
Of course, Henry would still need to be activated off IR in order to play. We don’t expect him to ultimately suit up in this game, but the most important thing for the Titans is that he’s on track to return for the playoffs.
