The Tennessee Titans (3-13) are 1.5-point favorites over the Houston Texans (9-7) in NFL Week 18. The game total has an over/under of 36.5 (-108o / -112u). The Titans are -125 favorites to win outright while the Texans are +105 to pull off the upset.
Sunday's game will kick off at 1:00 p.m. EST from Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The game will be broadcast live on CBS.
The Texans are locked into the AFC 4-seed in the NFL playoffs, but that isn't going to stop them from playing their starters — including QB C.J. Stroud — in Week 18. Coming off a two-point effort in a bad loss to the Ravens, it's not too surprising to see head coach DeMeco Ryans try to create positive momentum heading into the postseason. As for the Titans, they've lost five straight games and are in play for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Let's get into my Titans vs Texans predictions and NFL picks.
Texans vs. Titans Prediction, Odds, Pick
| Texans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 36.5 -108o / -112u | +105 |
| Titans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 36.5 -108o / -112u | -125 |
- Texans vs. Titans spread: Texans +1.5 (-110), Titans -1.5 (-110)
- Texans vs. Titans over/under: 37 (-110o / -110u)
- Texans vs. Titans moneyline: Texans +105, Titans -125
- Texans vs. Titans best bet: Texans +1.5
My Texans vs. Titans best bet is on the Texans to cover the spread, with the best odds currently available at bet365. For all of your NFL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NFL odds page.
Spread
On paper, the Texans have nothing to play for with their playoff seeding locked in. However, a listless effort against the Ravens has head coach DeMeco Ryans saying everyone on his team will play in Week 18.
This, combined with the Titans potentially embracing the tank for the first pick in the NFL Draft, has me backing the Texans on the spread.
Moneyline
I'd rather take the points with Houston instead of its moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm also passing on the game total for this game.
My Pick: Texans +1.5
Texans vs. Titans NFL Week 18 Preview
The Texans have nothing to play, but C.J. Stroud and the rest of their starters are going to play regardless. We’ll see how long that lasts. I’m not convinced we see much of Stroud since Houston is locked into the No. 4 seed in the AFC.
I get why Houston would play its first-stringers, though. The Texans have not been playing well and could use a boost heading into the playoffs.
What better team to beat up on than the Titans, who are an improbable 2-14 against the spread this season, to finish the season?
The Titans have something to play for, but that doesn’t involve them winning.
Tennessee is in the mix for the No. 1 pick in the draft, and its main competition (the Patriots) are playing the Bills, who will start Josh Allen but not do much else with him.
There’s a chance that the Titans are on the clock after Sunday. They already did a great job in helping their cause by losing to Mac Jones and the Jaguars last week.
Even if this game comes down to Davis Mills under center for the Texans, I simply believe the Titans will find a way to lose this game. Tennessee’s head coach and general manager got a vote of confidence from ownership this week, which means the tank is on.
So, with this pick, I’m not even expecting the Texans' starters to feature much. I believe that the Texans’ backups can beat the Titans’ starters.
Also, the trends indicate Houston is the play.
A road underdog with a winning percentage of .500 or better that scored fewer than 10 points in its previous game is 78-41-3 (66%) against the spread (ATS) over the past two decades. Also, a road 'dog coming off a loss of 20 or more is 60-49 ATS.
I think this line is giving the Texans zero chance of playing their starters, but they’re going to at least play what they normally would in a competitive preseason game based on what the Texans are saying. If it’s one quarter, one half or even longer, I’ll take the point with Houston.
My Pick: Texans +1.5
Titans vs Texans Betting Trends
NFL Weather
