In the first of two Monday Night Football matchups tonight, the Houston Texans battle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. While the Texans didn’t manage to score a touchdown in a slog of a Week 1 debut, the offense now finds itself primed for a bounce-back performance in Week 2 against a weak secondary. In this matchup, star wideout Nico Collins can get back on the board with a big game and help his team’s passing attack get rolling.
Check out the best Nico Collins prop bets for Texans vs. Buccaneers on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
Best Nico Collins prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
The Texans’ offense sputtered in Week 1 as the team failed to reach paydirt and scored just nine points in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It’s natural to expect some rust to open the season, especially when integrating a new offensive coordinator into the picture. While C.J. Stroud threw for only 188 yards and Nico Collins caught just three passes for 25 yards in that matchup, both players find themselves primed to post some fireworks in this Week 2 showdown in front of the home crowd in Houston.
As mentioned in this C.J. Stroud prop bet piece I wrote earlier today, this Buccaneers defense struggled to contain Michael Penix Jr. in Week 1 as the Falcons quarterback threw for 298 yards and a touchdown. In that contest, Penix completed 27 passes and top target Drake London hauled in eight balls for 55 yards. Aside from him, two other pass catchers tallied at least 50 yards on the day, as did running back Bijan Robinson. Tampa Bay also ranked 30th with 245.3 passing yards allowed per game in 2024, so this unit was repeatedly gashed through the air on a consistent basis over that large sample.
The Bucs’ second-round pick, cornerback Benjamin Morrison, missed Week 1 due to injury and is questionable to play tonight. If he suits up, he does improve the outlook for the defense somewhat. However, he’s a rookie and will be outclassed by Collins, and the rest of Tampa Bay’s secondary doesn’t spark much confidence when matching up against the wideout either. After all, it’s difficult to defend a 6-foot-4 receiver who runs his routes well while bringing a downfield element to his game with freakish speed for his size. Per Reception Perception, Collins beat man coverage at a 93rd-percentile rate last season while beating zone coverage with an 81st-percentile mark, so he grades out among the top talents in the league. If Tampa Bay presses him, he can punish the defense with a 96th-percentile grade against press as well.
There’s no denying that Collins provides a mismatch on any given play, and it won’t be shocking to see Stroud’s top target dominate a weak secondary on Monday Night Football. The Texans should throw the ball plenty, especially since they’re working with a depleted running back rotation against a run-stopping defense. I fully expect Houston’s offense to look much better than last week and flash upside through the air, so over 77.5 receiving yards and an anytime touchdown bet both look good for their best skill player.
Best Bet: Nico Collins over 77.5 receiving yards (-114)
Slight lean: Nico Collins anytime touchdown (+135)
Click the odds of either bet to tail!
