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How the public is betting Texans vs. Chargers in the Wild Card Round

How the public is betting Texans vs. Chargers in the Wild Card Round

Published:

By: Griffin Wong

The NFL Playoffs are here! Per usual, the Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET game includes the Houston Texans, who will welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to NRG Stadium. Here are the betting splits and most popular player prop bets at DraftKings Sportsbook for the all-important matchup.

The Chargers are three-point favorites over the Texans, with the point total set to 42.5.


Betting Splits

Los Angeles has been in extremely solid form to close the season, notching three consecutive victories, including back-to-back road blowouts over the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Houston has really struggled, losing two of its final three, including a Christmas Day rout at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. Bettors believe that the good times will keep rolling for the Chargers, as they’ve attracted 76% of the bets and 82% of the handle.

The public is even more confident that Los Angeles is going to cover the spread, as 81% of total bets and 89% of the handle were placed on the Chargers. Since losing wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a torn ACL in Week 8 and wide receiver Tank Dell to a severe knee injury on December 21, the Texans haven’t been particularly competitive against good teams, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs by eight and the Ravens by 29. Overall, Houston is 7-10 against the spread this season, while Los Angeles is 12-5. The Chargers have also covered the spread 83.3% of the time when they are favored.

The public is expecting a high-scoring game, with 66% of bets and 64% of the handle being placed on the game going over 42.5 total points. Given the hot form of Los Angeles’ offense, which has scored a total of 148 points in its past four games, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see it go over. However, the under has been a more stable bet for both teams throughout the season. The over is just 8-9 in Chargers games and 5-10-2 in Texans games so far this season.


Here are the top five most-bet player props for Saturday’s game:

  1. Joe Mixon Anytime TD Scorer (-130)
  2. Nico Collins Anytime TD Scorer (+135)
  3. Ladd McConkey Anytime TD Scorer (+140)
  4. J.K. Dobbins Anytime TD Scorer (+115)
  5. Quentin Johnston Anytime TD Scorer (+205)

The public is really hammering touchdown scorer props, in line with its expectations that the game will be high-scoring.

The two most popular player props are on Houston, which has a shallower squad than Los Angeles because of Diggs’ and Dell’s injuries. In particular, bettors are bullish on Mixon, who they back to break out of a four-game slump in which he has rushed for just 129 yards and has not found the end zone. The public is also high on Collins, who has garnered a massive 30.8% of C.J. Stroud’s targets within the opponent’s 20-yard line. Collins found the end zone in three of the Texans’ six final regular season games.

Meanwhile, the public is backing three different Los Angeles players to find the end zone. McConkey has been a revelation as a rookie, finding the end zone twice against the Patriots in Week 17 and leading the Chargers with a 19.4% target share. Dobbins has been a steady lead back throughout the season, scoring nine times despite missing four weeks with a knee sprain. Although he’s a bit of a longer shot, bettors are also high on Johnston, who has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season with 55 catches, 711 yards, and eight scores.

As of Thursday, Dobbins and Johnston were both questionable for Saturday’s contest.


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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.


I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and cannot access any non-public information.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.