Houston at Las Vegas

The Houston Texans are mirroring their 2007-08 performance where they recovered from a slow start to reach the .500 mark for the first time. They have now won four straight to lift them to the .500 mark for the first time this year. After their big upset win last week over the Titans, everyone seems to have taken notice. The question is, have the odds-makers now gotten too frisky with this team, placing them as a TD favorite on the road? The answer to that in my opinion is yes. This is an improved team for sure, but one that has been flexing their muscle at home, not on the road. Over the last four seasons the Texans are just 6-25 SU on the road. I don't recall ever seeing a team that has won just 19% of their road games over four seasons, with a similar mark this season at 22%, asked to cover a number this size. They have managed to cover this number in just three of their last 31 road games, and you can be sure they have played teams similar to Oakland in the process. The Raiders may be off their worst game of the year which certainly has something to do with this line. It's painful to back this Raiders team but it is the right side of this game. Let's not forget that the Raiders went to New Orleans and lost 34-3 to the Saints and then beat the playoff-bound division-leading Jets outright. They went to Miami and lost by just two to the Dolphins on a last minute FG. Then came back and beat another division leader, the Broncos, on the road 31-10. They have had their moments while the moments for the Texans on the road winning has not come easy. Winning by this large a number has been a rarity. I'll back the Raiders in this one.