Best NFL Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Texans vs. Chargers on Saturday in NFL Week 17)

Iain MacMillan | 1 Hour Ago

The Texans and Chargers are set to face off in Week 17 action. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

We didn't have any NFL to watch or bet on yesterday, but don't worry, it's back in action today with a couple of fun matchups. The first of two is an AFC showdown between two playoff-bound teams.

The Los Angeles Chargers fell to the Houston Texans in the opening round of last year's playoffs. Now, the two teams will meet in a rematch in Week 17, just two weeks before they'll both return to the postseason.

Let's take a look at my best bets for today's matinee matchup.

Chargers vs. Texans Best Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Texans vs. Chargers UNDER 39.5 (-105)
• Justin Herbert UNDER 211.5 Passing Yards (-114)
• Jayden Higgins Anytime Touchdown (+460)

Texans vs. Chargers UNDER 39.5 (-105)

In the Week 17 edition of the Road to 272 Bets, I wrote about why I'm betting on the UNDER in this AFC game:

The Texans and Chargers are more alike than you might think. Both teams are in the playoffs because of their defenses, have talented quarterbacks, but are held back offensively due to bad and/or injured offensive lines. That combination makes me think we're going to see a low-scoring affair on Saturday. Both defenses rank inside the top 5 in opponent EPA per play, opponent success rate, and opponent yards per play. The Texans also boast the best scoring defense in the league, keeping teams to scoring just 16.3 points per game, the fewest in the NFL by 2.3 points per game.

Both teams are going to struggle to score in this one. In my opinion, the total belongs in the high-30s, so with the total set at 40.5, I'll take the UNDER.

Justin Herbert UNDER 211.5 Passing Yards (-114)

I ranked Justin Herbert to go under his passing yards total as my No. 10 player prop for this week:

Justin Herbert benefited from facing one of the worst pass defenses last year when he and the Chargers blew past the Cowboys, but now he has to take on the best secondary in the NFL. Before last week, he had four straight games where he threw for 210 yards or less. I expect him to regress to those types of numbers on Saturday against the Texans' defense, which allows just 5.7 yards per pass attempt, the fewest in the league.

Jayden Higgins Anytime Touchdown (+460)

Jayden Higgins may not rack up the yards every week, but he's a sneaky, dangerous weapon for the Texans, and he has already found the end zone four times this season. With most of the Chargers' attention on Nico Collins, Higgins could find some favorable matchups on Sunday, which makes him a great dark horse touchdown bet at +460.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!