C.J. Stroud is looking to build off his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign and the Houston Texans are trying to show the league last season wasn’t a fluke.
Does Las Vegas believe Houston can repeat as AFC South champions? Maybe it’s too early, but at least the Texans enter the season as favorites on the road where they clinched the division title in 2023.
Houston enters Week 1 as a 1.5-point favorite over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to BetMGM. One could even consider it a coin-flip game if both teams enter the new season at full strength.
The Texans won over fans across the league behind Stroud’s heroics and a revamped persona headlined by head coach DeMeco Ryans’ play-calling, but they weren’t the only team that turned the corner in the AFC. The Colts dealt with persistent injuries throughout the season, thus hurting their chances to close out games.
After losing rookie sensation Anthony Richardson to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 1, Indianapolis turned to veteran Gardner Minshew for stability. The game’s most “interesting” quarterback kept things afloat, but he was far from the same level as Richardson, who scored two rushing touchdowns in Week 2’s win over Houston at NRG Stadium,
Week 1 could be a tone-setter for both teams. The Texans, who finished 11-8 with a playoff win over Cleveland, went aggressive in free agency and on the trade market this offseason to build around Stroud’s team-friendly contract. General manager Nick Caserio traded for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs.
He also inked long-term deals with Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and cornerback Jeff Okudah.
Indianapolis chose to attack its needs during the draft after extending its top names internally. In Round 1, the Colts landed perhaps the best pass-rusher in the class with Laiatu Latu out of UCLA. In Round 2, they landed Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell to create a trifecta of pass-catchers alongside Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs.
Houston and Indy open as the favorites to win the division. Time will tell if they not only live up to the hype, but live up to the betting lines in 2024.
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