Three Bold Predictions for How Texans vs. Raiders Will Play Out

The Houston Texans have Week 16 on tap against the Las Vegas Raiders in another matchup at NRG Stadium, eyeing a chance to extend their ongoing win streak from six games against a team that's faced a bit of struggles on both sides of the ball throughout this season.

The stage is set for Houston to have a chance at a dominating day back on their home field. Exactly how that action is meant to play out remains to be seen, but it makes for a good setup to piece together some bold predictions as to how action pans out between these two squads.

With that, here are three bold predictions for the Texans' upcoming contest against Las Vegas.

1. Raiders Finish With Less Than 200 Total Yards

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) stands in the pocket against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders offense this season has been... bleak.

On four occasions this season, the Raiders have logged less than 200 total yards throughout a game, including their latest showing against the Philadelphia Eagles. That's compounded with consistent struggles from start to finish of this season on that side of the ball, placing them as the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL through 15 weeks.

That's a rough matchup against this ferocious Texans defense, who's held all but two teams to less than 20 points a week, have a potent pass rush that can dominate the Raiders' beaten up and porous offensive line, pairing with an elite run defense that has a chance to hold down Ashton Jeanty in the backfield as well.

If Houston can bring consistent pressure on Geno Smith and remain stout in the run, the Raiders could have yet another troublesome day on the offensive end.

2. Rookies Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel Both Find TDs

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (14) runs for a gain during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In a matchup that could play out to be a bit one-sided, it's not too wild to imagine the Texans handing their pair of rookie wideouts a bit more opportunity throughout the day to get extended snaps and get a chance at a few more looks as they have so far this season.

If that's the case, then it might not be too unrealistic to see not just one of them, but both haul in a touchdown in a game predicted to be a two-score win in favor of Houston. Higgins has proven to be a physical red zone target for four scores in year one, while Noel has only managed to hit paydirt once––that one coming against the Baltimore Ravens all the way in Week 5.

Look for the Texans to spark some production out of their year-one players for their last few regular-season showings, which might bring some further confidence for what each could provide for a potential postseason run.

3. Texans Win By 20+ Points

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans coaches against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

There's a real chance this week's matchup could be over pretty quickly in Houston.

The Texans have serious momentum on a six-game winning streak, back at home with playoff aspirations on the line, and come off a performance against the Arizona Cardinals that was enough for a winning effort, but a game in which DeMeco Ryans and the defense felt they came up a bit short.

As for the Raiders, they're coming off quite possibly their worst game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles; getting shut out for a second time this year, had a season-low 75 total yards of offense, and haven't won a game dating back to the middle of October.

Maybe the script gets flipped in this one, but on paper, the Texans have a clear edge heading into kickoff, and if they start the day off hot like they did against Arizona, the Raiders might not have a chance to breathe.

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