The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football this week and NFL odds say it won't be a close game. The 7-4 Eagles are nine point favorites over the 5-6 Texans, which seems like a high line considering the Texans ability to put points on the board.
The large line in the game likely comes from the Texans play as of late which hasn't been pretty. Before shutting out the Tennessee Titans last week, the Texans had lost four consecutive games dropping them out of first place in the AFC South. Currently, they're just one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in the division so they need this game if they're thinking of a division title.
The Eagles meanwhile sit in a similar situation in the NFC East but they're tied for the lead with the New York Giants. Philly needs this victory to keep pace with them in what figures to be a tight division race down the stretch.
The Texans offense is its strength ranking 10th in the league while the defense ranks 26th. QB Michael Vick could have a nice day against Houston's pass defense, which has been one of the worst in the league this season. Meanwhile Philly's strength also lies in its offense which is ranked second in the NFL. The Eagles have one three of their last four including a Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Philly's stadium is expected to be rocking on Thursday night -- just ask QB Matt Schaub about their fans. Check out Battle Red Blog and Bleeding Green Nation for more on the game.