The Denver Broncos (4-8) got back on track with a 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week, but they get a tough test on Sunday when they hit the road to take on the Houston Texans (8-4). The Texans just beat the New England Patriots on a national stage, and appear to be an underrated team when it comes to analyzing squads who have the potential to make a deep postseason run.

The Broncos won't be making the playoffs this year, but they have been fairly competitive over the past few weeks. The insertion of rookie Drew Lock into the starting lineup has sparked this team on both sides of the ball, and they have their sights set on upsetting a team that has been on a roll as of late. The Texans have been watching all of the madness occurring in their rearview mirror, but it hasn't affected their play. The Pittsburgh Steelers refuse to give up their wild card spot and the Tennessee Titans have won three straight games. The Texans' divisional rival is after one of these playoff spots and praying that Houston slips up this week.

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The Broncos have won two out of the past three matchups against the Texans, and lead the all-time series, 4-3. Before we get to our predictions for this Week 14 showdown, here's how and when you can watch or stream the game:

How to watch

Date: Sunday, Dec. 8 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium (Houston)
TV: CBS | Stream: CBS All Access  
Follow: CBS Sports App  

Preview

All eyes will be on Lock this week. He passed for 134 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in his first career start last week, and Courtland Sutton benefitted from the change under center. He caught four passes for a team-high 74 yards and both of Lock's two touchdowns. He had 57 yards against the Texans last year. Lock will look to rely on Phillip Lindsay a little more this week. He had just 58 rushing yards last Sunday, but he recorded 84 yards from scrimmage in his last meeting against the Texans. He needs just 51 scrimmage yards to become the third undrafted player in the common-draft era to record more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons. While the Texans got the win over the Patriots last Monday night, they still allowed New England to rack up 448 yards of total offense, as Tom Brady and Co. averaged 5.7 yards per play. Lock will have the opportunity to put up some points on Sunday. 

For the Texans, it's going to be about jumping on the Broncos quickly and putting them away early. Last week, Deshaun Watson completed 72 percent of his passes and threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass from DeAndre Hopkins, which made him just the second player in the Super Bowl era to record three passing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in a single game. Watson has been prone to inconsistent play this season, but he has been dominant in NRG Stadium. In the last four home games, he has passed for 1,237 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just one interception. I expect the Texans' running backs to play a big role in this matchup, both on the ground and through the air. Duke Johnson had 90 yards from scrimmage against the Patriots, and also caught a touchdown. Carlos Hyde only had 22 yards from scrimmage on Monday night, but he has 199 rushing yards and a touchdown in his last two games against AFC West opponents. 

Predictions 

SportsLine currently lists the Texans as a nine-point favorite. Houston can't afford to slip up late in the season, and I think they understand that. The Texans play the 7-5 Titans two times in the next three weeks, and they need to capitalize on every opportunity they can. I say the Broncos cover the large spread, but the Texans win. 

The pick: Texans 24-21 over Broncos

Check out CBSSports.com for even more predictions, including from Pete Prisco and Will Brinson.