The Houston Texans and'New England Patriots meet Thursday to open Week 1 of the NFL Preseason. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Texans vs. Patriots odds, and'make our expert NFL picks and predictions.
The Texans finished the 2022 season with a 3-13-1 record. With the 2nd overall pick in the NFL Draft, they selected QB C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State in a move that guarantees they won’t need to stand by 2022 signal-caller QB Davis Mills for long. Houston also made a splash by giving up a truckload of future draft capital for the 3rd overall selection to select LB Will Anderson Jr., out of Alabama.
Other new faces include TE Dalton Schultz (who joined as a free agent from the Dallas Cowboys), OL Shaq Mason (who joined via trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and perhaps most importantly, DeMeco Ryans, who joins from the San Francisco 49ers to be the team’s new head coach.
The Patriots wrapped up 2022 with an 8-9 record, winning just 2 of their final 7 games and falling short of the postseason. New England made numerous offseason moves to bolster its offense after finishing the season with one of the least-efficient units in the league, signing TE Mike Gesicki (Miami Dolphins) and'WR'JuJu Smith-Schuster (Kansas City Chiefs), and hiring former Houston head coach Bill O’Brien to serve as offensive coordinator.