Is Nico Collins Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Cowboys vs. Texans in NFL Week 4)

Houston Texans star receiver Nico Collins missed Weeks 2 and 3 with a hamstring injury, but he's set to return to action in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Collins is officially off the injury report for Houston, a great sign as the team looks to avoid an 0-4 start in the 2026 campaign.

Nico Collins (hamstring) not listed on injury report for Week 4.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 2, 2026

Collins was injured in practice following Week 1, and he wasn't even questionable for the Texans' next two games, getting ruled out well before Sunday. So, it's possible that he'll be limited a bit as Houston needs the star receiver on the field if it wants to compete for a playoff spot in 2026.

In his lone game against Buffalo in Week 1, Collins had seven catches for 75 yards and a score on 10 targets, playing 72.2 percent of the team's offensive snaps. He's clearly the No. 1 option in this passing game when healthy.

The two-time Pro Bowler has posted three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Last season, he had 1,117 receiving yards and six scored in 15 games.

This is a pretty favorable matchup for Collins against a Dallas defense that is 32nd in the NFL in EPa/Play and 31st in EPA/Pass.

Let's take a look at my favorite prop bet for him in his return on Sunday.

Best Nico Collins Prop Bet vs. Cowboys

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Nico Collins OVER 5.5 Receptions (-110)

Collins was peppered with targets in Week 1 against Buffalo, receiving 10 in the 57 plays he appeared in. While Houston may not run that much offense in Week 2, the Cowboys are extremely gettable through the air this season.

Not only does Dallas rank dead last in the league in EPA/Play on defense, but it's allow 7.2 net yards per attempt, the sixth-most in the league.

That's a great sign for C.J. Stroud and Collins, and it's worth noting that Collins has averaged over five catches per game in two of his last three completed seasons. I expect Houston to attack through the air quite a bit on Sunday, and Stroud has still been pretty successful as a passer, ranking in the top 10 in passing yards in 2026.

I'll bet on Collins having a big game in his return to the lineup.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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