The status of injured tight end Rob Gronkowski remains uncertain as the New England Patriots prepare to take on the visiting Houston Texans on Sunday as heavy 13.5-point favorites on the NFL Week 3 odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Gronkowski did not practice Wednesday after suffering a groin injury in New England’s 36-20 win against the New Orleans Saints last week as 6-point chalk, adding to the team’s injury concerns going into Sunday afternoon’s Texans vs. Patriots betting matchup at Gillette Stadium.
The four-time Pro Bowler joins a growing list of players spending time in the Patriots clinic, including receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, as well as linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Edelman is gone for the season after suffering a knee injury during the preseason, while Amendola and Hightower both missed last week’s win over the Saints as they recovered from a concussion and a knee injury, respectively.
The Patriots’ health concerns had little impact on their performance in their date with the Saints. Quarterback Tom Brady rebounded from a sluggish performance in a 42-27 Week 1 loss to Kansas City as 8-point home chalk. Brady tossed three first-quarter scores for the first time in his career, while the Patriots defense allowed New Orleans to penetrate the New England red zone just once after halftime.
New England also has dominated the Texans since they entered the NFL in 2002, winning eight of nine meetings straight up according to the OddsShark NFL Database. The Patriots also are 5-0 SU and against the spread in five dates with Houston at Gillette Stadium, holding the Texans to 16 or fewer points on four occasions, including a 34-16 victory as heavy 16.5-point chalk in last season’s playoffs.
The Texans roll into town after ending a two-game road slide with a 13-9 win in Cincinnati as 5.5-point road underdogs. Rookie Deshaun Watson looked comfortable under center while leading Houston to victory in his first career start. But the hero of the Clemson Tigers’ stunning national championship victory last season could be facing the toughest test of his football career against a Patriots squad that is a perfect 8-0 SU in home dates against rookie quarterbacks during the Bill Belichick era.
Watson must find a way to kickstart a Texans offense that has struggled to generate points on the road since last season. Houston has averaged just 14.7 points per game over its past 10 games away from NRG Stadium, a run that began with a 27-0 blowout loss to New England as 1-point underdogs in Week 3 of the 2016 NFL campaign.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
