Texans vs. Steelers Preseason Prediction | NFL Picks Today, Best Bets

NFL Preseason Week 1 is on tap tonight, and we have a solid matchup between two teams looking to make noise inside the AFC this year.

Here are our best bets for the action and players you need to watch for on both sidelines. 

Where to Watch Texans vs. Steelers

• Location: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, PN)
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET | Where to Watch: NFL Network
• Spread: Texans -2.5 | Moneyline: Texans -140 | Total: 37.5

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Texans vs. Steelers Best Bet ATS: Texans -2.5 (-110)

The Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers are set to kick off their respective preseason tonight in Pittsburgh. The visiting Texans are listed as a slight 2.5-point road favorite, with expectations that C.J. Stroud and some Texans starters will see game action. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has stressed the importance of getting his starters reps in the preseason instead of taxing them in long practices. The line has moved heavily towards the Texans after the Steelers opened as 3-point home favorites. We won’t shy away from riding with where the money is headed tonight in Week 1 preseason action. 

Texans vs. Steelers Best Bet Total: OVER 37.5 (-110)

It’s hard to gauge looking at totals in the preseason, especially knowing early on how little the starters will play. If both sides can create some early offense like we’re expecting, there’s room for the secondary skill position players to make noises and tally points. Stroud will want to start on the right foot after a dominant rookie year, while Justin Fields aspires to be the Steelers QB1. Even though there’s some risk with expecting points in the preseason, there’s a lot of competition on offense for both sides, and we expect them to pull through in this opener. 

Texans Offensive Player To Watch: Stefon Diggs, WR

If everything goes according to plan, the Texans are expected to debut their new shiny wide receiver toy in Stefon Diggs tonight. Diggs has been a polarizing player during his time with the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. Whether or not the Texans will be able to get him enough touches on offense is a big question mark in keeping him happy. One area in which Diggs can help the Texan’s offense is on short passes. This is an area that Houston needs to improve on offensively, and Diggs is a high-end route runner who can make his mark felt in that area. We’ll be looking for that early on tonight. 

Texans Defensive Player to Watch: Kamari Lassiter, CB

After getting selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Kamari Lassiter is expected to play a role in their secondary immediately. After an impressive showing in college at Georgia, Lassiter will be tasked with helping out a Texans secondary that was inconsistent in 2023. If Houston hopes to take another step in the AFC with a daunting schedule and plenty of elite QBs on tap, they’ll need their secondary to show progress in the preseason, starting with youngsters like Lassiter. 

Steelers Offensive Player to Watch: Justin Fields, QB

Even if Justin Fields only gets a pair of series in his Steelers debut, a lot is riding on those snaps. Russell Wilson has the lead position in the race as a Week 1 starter in Atlanta for Pittsburgh. Still, an impressive showing in the preseason for Fields could turn some heads in the Steelers room. A big issue in his NFL career for Fields has been taking unnecessary sacks and his ability to process a defense. We’ll focus on those two areas tonight, even if it’s just a small sample size. 

Steelers Defensive Player to Watch: Payton Wilson, LB

After watching Payton Wilson fall into the Steelers’ lap in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft because of injury concerns, I believe he can make an immediate impact starting tonight. With big free agent signing Patrick Queen sitting out, there’s a real opportunity for Wilson to cement his role on defense, and he should be given plenty of reps to do just that. Watching how Wilson reacts in the run game will be a big tell of how big of a role he can handle. 

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