The Houston Texans seek positive momentum after a preseason loss when they face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, August 9 at 7:00 PM ET at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both teams have identical odds coming into this showdown, each being favored with a moneyline at -110.
The Texans started their preseason with a 21-17 defeat to the Chicago Bears. The game was eventually called off due to bad weather during the Hall of Fame Game, so no fourth-quarter action happened.
Quarterbacks Davis Mills and Case Keenum showed promise, combining for 180 passing yards and two touchdowns. Mills completed 10 of 13 passes for 102 yards, while Keenum added 78 yards on seven of nine attempts. Compared to last season, the Texans' offense ranked 13th with 22.2 points a game.
J.J. Taylor was great on the ground and helped pace the Texans with 16 rushing yards. Xavier Hutchinson led in receiving with five catches for 56 yards, followed by Ben Skowronek's three receptions for 28 yards.
Despite Teagan Quitoriano and Cam Akers compiling touchdown passes, it was not enough to land the victory. Defensively, Calen Bullock had five total tackles to show promise on this end. Last season, they allowed teams to average 20.8 points per game and rank 11th overall.
The Steelers are coming off a 10-7 record from last season when they finished third in the AFC North. Their previous matchup was a postseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, but they have since changed their offense by bringing in quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
They have added linebacker Patrick Queen and keep veteran Cameron Heyward, who is now in his 14th season and should provide excellent knowledge for the defense. Joey Porter Jr. also returns in the secondary, which helps since they have added a mix of new and established talent.
Their offense accumulated 304 total points last season, which averaged 17.9 points a game and ranked 28th in the league, making them one of the worst teams offensively.
However, their defensive efficiency helped keep them within reach for most games and proved a winning formula. They allowed opponents to put up 324 total points, 19.1 points a game that ranked sixth.
The betting odds for this NFL preseason showdown come from MyBookie, with both teams having a good chance to succeed. Since both teams have the same odds, this indicates a close matchup.
The biggest difference here will be depth since key starters are likely not going to make an appearance. The Steelers appear to have more talent in several positions on offense and defense. With Mike Tomlin back at the helm, he will get them ready to go regardless of whether this is a preseason game.
