NRG Stadium – Houston, TX
Kickoff: Saturday, 8:25 p.m. ET
Line: Houston -1.5, Total: 41.0

Tom Savage will be looking to lead the Texans to a big win when the team hosts the Bengals on Saturday night.

Cincinnati would have had an outside shot at making the playoffs with a win last week, but the Bengals are now going to be playing the role of spoiler after losing 24-20 as three-point home underdogs against the Steelers. The last time the Bengals went to Houston was Nov. 23, 2014, and Cincinnati won that game 22-13 as a three-point ‘dog. The Bengals will be hoping for a similar result this time around. The Texans, meanwhile, will be absolutely desperate for a win this weekend. Houston is currently tied with Tennessee atop the AFC South standings and the Texans need a win in this game if they want to find a way to play postseason football. While the Bengals won the last time these teams met in Houston, the Texans won the last time these teams played in general. Houston beat Cincinnati 10-6 as a 10-point road underdog on Nov. 16, 2015. It’s worth noting that the Texans are 14-4 ATS as favorites under head coach Bill O’Brien. They are, however, facing a Bengals team that is 6-0 ATS in road games after covering the spread in two of their past three games over the past two seasons. WR A.J. Green (Hamstring) is expected to return in this game.

The Bengals are coming off of a tough loss to the Steelers and QB Andy Dalton (3,712 yards, 16 TD, 7 INT) definitely wants to put that one in the past. Dalton was miserable in that game, throwing for only 157 yards with no touchdowns and a pick. He’ll need to find a way to be more effective against the Texans on Saturday, and the return of WR A.J. Green (66 rec, 964 yards, 4 TD) could be exactly what he needs. Green is supposed to play for the Bengals this week, and the offense has really been missing him. Prior to getting injured, Green had racked up 111.5 yards per game in his last four games. Cincinnati badly needs somebody with his ability to change games. TE Tyler Eifert (29 rec, 394 yards, 5 TD) could also benefit from Green’s presence. Defenses won’t be able to key in on Eifert on Saturday, so he could roam freely over the middle in this game. Defensively, the Bengals would be wise to put pressure on Tom Savage. He is inexperienced under center, so they need to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

QB Tom Savage led the Texans to a victory last week, and head coach Bill O’Brien rewarded him by making him the starter. QB Brock Osweiler (2,704 yards, 14 TD, 16 INT) is now a high-priced backup, and Savage will do his best to make O’Brien look like a smart man for making this move. He certainly did so last week, as Savage threw for 260 yards with no picks in his limited action. He is far more willing to throw the ball downfield than Osweiler was, and that will only open things up for this offense. WR DeAndre Hopkins (68 rec, 788 yards, 4 TD) is one guy that should be in for a big finish to the season, and he’ll need to have a good game on Saturday. RB Lamar Miller (1,073 yards, 5 TD) could also see less eight-man boxes moving forward, and that would allow this running game to thrive heading into what might be a playoff appearance for this Houston team. Miller had 63 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars last week, and he could be in for an even bigger outing on Saturday.