The Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans have both impressed at times and disappointed at others through the season. However, Sunday marks a change for one of the two teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the Raiders, a win brings them back above .500 and likely a game out of first place in the AFC West. A loss gives them four losses in their last six, and a deflating mood heading into their bye week. As for the Texans, a win moves them to a respectable 5-3 but a loss drops them gives them their first two-game losing streak of the season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That being said, who has the upper hand in this important Week 8 contest?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Houston Texans\u2019 offense has usually not played well at home this season. Houston did explode for 53 points against the lowly Atlanta Falcons, but in the Texans\u2019 two other home games this season, Houston scored 13 points or fewer. As good as the Texans can sometimes be, they are very inconsistent. Their point totals have gone: 28, 13, 27, 10, 53, 31, 23. The team which nearly beat the Saints on the road and did win on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs is also a team which scored just 13 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, and lost to the Carolina Panthers at home on a day when Carolina had Kyle Allen, not Cam Newton, at quarterback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Raiders, meanwhile, are better than many expected through six games. They beat the Chicago Bears and beat the Indianapolis Colts \u2013 both playoff teams from last season \u2013 and their losses have come to Kansas City, Minnesota and Green Bay, three teams that are a combined 16-5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Houston\u2019s pass defense is ranked fourth-worst in the NFL and allows opposing quarterbacks to compile a 102.9 rating. If Carr has a good game here, the Raiders should cover \u2013 at the very least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Raiders have been good away from home, at 2-2 on the season. However, one would think this is a spot where the Raiders are going to bottom out and collapse. The reason for it is the crazy amount of travel they\u2019ve been doing. The Raiders have not played in Oakland since Week 2 of the season, which means they\u2019ve been away from Oakland for a month and a half. In their last four games, they\u2019ve been at Minnesota, at London (versus the Bears), at Green Bay and now at Houston. This is a bizarre schedule that might leave them completely exhausted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Houston, they have an obvious path to victory. Usually, they lose when quarterback Deshaun Watson is harassed and the passing game stumbles. The Raiders pass defense is ranked 31st in the NFL, allowing a whopping 289.8 passing yards per game. Only two teams have allowed more passing touchdowns than Oakland and only four teams have less sacks than them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Watson has time to operate and the offense is cooking, they\u2019ll win this game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This game has shootout written all over it. The Texans have way too much talent to continue to struggle on offense at home but their pass defense has flaws too, so Oakland should move the ball as well. Look for both teams to approach or surpass 30 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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