Texans vs. Steelers Best NFL Prop Bets for Wild Card Round (Bet on C.J. Stroud)

Breaking down the best prop bets for the Houston Texans-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup on Monday night in the NFL playoffs.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is a solid prop target on Monday. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One spot in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs is up for grabs, and the Houston Texans are favored on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an exciting AFC battle on Monday night.

While some bettors may be looking to a side or total in this matchup, I’m also locked into the prop market for this game. 

The Texans are one of the best defensive teams in the NFL, but they have to face a Pittsburgh offense that has been pretty solid down the stretch of the regular season and now gets DK Metcalf back from suspension.

Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud is looking to win a playoff game for the third season in a row, and he may have a field day against a Pittsburgh defense that ranks 29th in the NFL in passing yards allowed this season.

Even in a game with such a low total (39.5), I think there are a bunch of prop angles to consider in this standalone matchup. Here’s a breakdown of three of my favorites for Monday’s action. 

Best NFL Prop Bets for Texans vs. Steelers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• C.J. Stroud OVER 1.5 Passing Touchdowns (+120)
• Kenneth Gainwell 5+ Receptions (-174)
• Jaylen Warren OVER 51.5 Rushing Yards (-111)

C.J. Stroud OVER 1.5 Passing Touchdowns (+120)

Stroud has been far from a touchdown machine this season, throwing 19 scores in 14 games while posting just five games with multiple touchdown passes.

Plus, he’s only thrown four touchdown passes in four postseason starts in his career. So, why bet the OVER on Monday?

Well, the Steelers have been awful against the pass, ranking 18th in the NFL in EPA/Pass while allowing the fourth-most passing yards and eighth-most passing touchdowns (30) in the NFL this season.

Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers torched the Steelers in the second half in Week 18, and I think Stroud can attack this secondary through the air on Monday. At +120, Stroud is at least worth a look in this prop.

Kenneth Gainwell 5+ Receptions (-174)

Kenneth Gainwell has been the go-to short yardage option for Aaron Rodgers down the stretch of this season, and he’s played over 66 percent of the Steelers’ snaps in back-to-back games.

The veteran running back has caught five or more passes in six of his last eight games, and he’s been targeted 51 times during that stretch.

Now, he takes on a Houston pass rush that is going to force Rodgers to get rid of the ball quickly, likely leading to a bunch of Gainwell checkdowns. Gainwell had eight grabs in Week 18 and has at least six catches in five of his last eight.

Even with DK Metcalf back, Gainwell may end up pacing the Steelers in receiving on Monday. 

Jaylen Warren OVER 51.5 Rushing Yards (-111)

Houston has an elite defense, but it does rank just 11th in EPA/Rush this season, allowing 4.0 yards per carry.

So, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jaylen Warren have a decent game on the ground given his recent workloads in this offense.

The Steelers running back has lost passing down work to Gainwell, but he still has 12 or more carries in four straight games, picking up 64 or more rushing yards in three in a row. Overall this season, Warren has nine games with at least 52 rushing yards and just one game where he didn’t receive 10 carries.

This line is well below his season average for yards per game, and I think Warren will have a sizable role against this Houston defense.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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