Houston Texans vs Green Bay Packers: Prediction, Preview & Odds - August 14, 2021

Game time: 8 p.m. ET; Aug. 14, 2021

Venue: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Where to listen: NFL Game Pass, Westwood One, Sirius XM

Texans: 4-12 (3rd place, AFC South)

Packers: 13-3 (1st place, NFC North; lost NFC Championship to Tampa Bay)

Passing: Deshaun Watson -- 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Rushing: David Johnson -- 691 yards, 6 touchdowns

Receiving: Brandin Cooks -- 1,150 yards, 6 touchdowns

Tackles: Zach Cunningham (164)

Sacks: J.J. Watt (5)

Interceptions: Three tied (1)

Passing: Aaron Rodgers -- 4,299 yards, 48 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

Rushing: Aaron Jones -- 1,104 yards, 9 touchdowns

Receiving: Davante Adams -- 1,374 yards, 18 touchdowns

Tackles: Adrian Amos (83)

Sacks: Za’Darius Smith (12.5)

Interceptions: Darnell Savage (4)

DraftKings: Packers -3, Texans +3
BetMGM: Packers -3, Texans +3
FanDuel: Packers -3, Texans +3

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Imagine how hectic it’d be if this were a regular-season game.

We’d spend more time talking about the quarterbacks’ futures than the actual play on the field.

But maybe it’s a good thing we’re likely not to see Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers on Saturday when the Green Bay Packers host the Houston Texans in the teams’ first preseason game Saturday.

All eyes as the season progresses will be on the two star quarterbacks; one who has had his entire team gutted from him with no help around him, and one who is a future Hall of Famer who has had it with management and may want out of Green Bay sooner rather than later.

It’s going to be a hectic season for both teams. It’s early August, and we’re here talking if Watson will even be in Houston by the time the season starts. Safe to say the pressure is on new Texans head coach David Culley to turn around a team that was a major disappointment in going 4-12 a year ago -- most notably a Texans defense that lost J.J. Watt and was 27th in scoring last year.

The Packers are just hoping to get one more Super Bowl in before Rodgers likely leaves Green Bay next year. Despite many rumblings the reigning NFL MVP would retire rather than report to a franchise that drafted a quarterback in the first round last year, Rodgers is in Green Bay for at least one more season after a contract restructure that could see him leave next season.

Again, aren’t you glad we’re not talking about this in October? At least for now.

The aforementioned quarterback drafted in the first round, Jordan Love, is expected to get the bulk of the reps for Green Bay throughout the preseason. Not a bad warmup session before he gets the full first-team look next year, right? Right?

On a normal day, we’d be taking the over all day. But these first few preseason games are going to be under-heavy, and this won’t be an exception. If the scoring does go high one side, look at the Packers. They’re 21-5 (+15.5 units) when they score between 22-28 points. If the Packers' defense can do its part, that’s also good news; they’re 11-2 (+8.8 units) when allowing between 200-250 yards.

Not much to this one. Packers win 20-13, under cashes.

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