Chargers vs. Texans Predictions, Picks & Odds: NFL Wild Card Saturday
The first of the two Saturday Wild Card Weekend games kicks off in Houston with the Texans hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, which is also the first of the playoff action overall. That means there was no question that we’d be here to provide our Chargers vs. Texans predictions leading into a best bet.
Even if you have Chargers vs. Texans picks of your own, we’ll share how you can score a guaranteed $200 DraftKings Sportsbook new user bonus!
Chargers vs. Texans Predictions For The Wild Card, Saturday 1/11
There are plenty of moving parts to this Chargers vs. Texans matchup that make it interesting, and it’s also quite an impressive one given that Los Angeles has a first-year head coach in Jim Harbaugh and Houston has a second-year head coach in DeMeco Ryans.
We’ll also be seeing some of the young QBs go head-to-head in Chargers’ Justin Herbert and Texans’ C.J. Stroud. However, these are two defensive-minded coaches, so will they be able to keep this game from becoming a shootout? Well, the Chargers vs. Texans odds would suggest a happy medium based on a total of 42.5 points.
With that being the case, we’ve found a spot that we absolutely love for the best bet from our Chargers vs. Texans predictions, which is an isolated way of looking at the total.
Los Angeles Chargers: Entering With Momentum
The Chargers had already clinched their playoff berth prior to Week 18, but we didn’t see them rest all of their key players like some teams could, such as the division rival Kansas City Chiefs. That was primarily thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers losing on Saturday night.
That loss opened the door for Los Angeles to snag the #5 seed, and they did just that by taking down the Las Vegas Raiders by 14 points on the road. That made it three straight wins for the Chargers, including two road wins and two games against AFC West rivals. They should feel excited that their offensive stars showed out this past Sunday.
Houston Texans: Time To Turn It On
It took just the first few weeks of the season for the Texans to look like a runaway lock to win the AFC South, which was also the preseason expectation. However, whether primarily due to injuries or otherwise, it hasn’t been the smoothest season.
Of course, Houston still won the division for the second straight season, but their 10-7 record was worse than even Wild Card teams, including the Chargers. It didn’t hurt that the AFC South hosted three other teams with losing records, including a 4-13 and 3-14 team. With the competition taking a massive step up, it’s time to turn it on.
How To Watch NFL Wild Card Saturday 2025
To make sure that you’re able to watch our Chargers vs. Texans predictions play out, or any Chargers vs. Texans picks, here is how to watch the first of the NFL Wild Card Saturday games:
- Where: NRG Stadium in Houston, TX
- When: 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, 1/11
- Watch on TV: CBS, Nickelodeon
- Where to stream: NFL+, Paramount
Chargers vs. Texans Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
The Chargers vs. Texans odds have this game as the one expected to be far closer than the later Saturday game in Baltimore, and you can see that with the latest lines at DraftKings Sportsbook below:
- Point Spread: Los Angeles Chargers -2.5 (-120) vs. Houston Texans +2.5 (+100)
- Money Line: Los Angeles Chargers (-162) vs. Houston Texans (+136)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 42.5 (-108) vs. Under 42.5 (-112)
Chargers vs. Texans Predictions: First Half Total Over 21.5 Points (-105 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
There was a bit of foreshadowing for the best bet from our Chargers vs. Texans picks when we mentioned that Los Angeles’ stars showed out in Week 18. That included Herbert throwing for 346 yards, RB JK Dobbins able to handle 18 carries and WR Quentin Johnston going for 186 yards on 13 receptions.
Even with not seeing Texans QB C.J. Stroud this past weekend, we saw them able to rush for 176 yards with backup RB Dameon Pierce alone. With so many offensive numbers being thrown around, it’s no surprise that we’re taking an over. So, why is it that we’re focusing on the first half of the game?
Well, firstly, both teams have been remarkable in the first half in terms of covering the spread. In fact, they’ve been the best - Houston’s 13-4 record against the spread and LA’s 12-4-1 record against the spread are the top two marks. Since they’ve both been great, our attention turns to the total.
They’ve been so successful in the first two quarters thanks to offensive production. Both sides are inside the top 10 in that regard, scoring more than 13 first-half points per game. While their defensive numbers have also been solid early on, we trust the Chargers offensive against a Houston defense that has been declining.
Similarly, we trust Texans RB Joe Mixon to exploit the LA defense, which you can read more about in our NFL Saturday Wild Card player prop article. You can use those prop picks along with the best bet from our Chargers vs. Texans predictions on the first half over 21.5 points (-105 at DraftKings Sportsbook).
Chargers vs. Texans Injury Report & Latest News
There were unfortunately several key injuries in Week 18 to playoff teams, but the Chargers and Texans came out largely unscathed.
Of course, there are still nagging injuries to key players to monitor, namely LA RB JK Dobbins and Houston LB Will Anderson Jr. Be sure to monitor all the latest news with the Fantasy Alarm NFL injury report.
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Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.