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The Houston Texans will look to further their playoff case this Sunday when they welcome the Arizona Cardinals to town. DeMeco Ryans' squad is coming off a dominant 20-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, which moved them to 8-5, while the 3-10 Cardinals were blown out by the Los Angeles Rams, 45-17. 

The Texans have now won five straight games, and have an 86% chance to make the playoffs despite being one game back of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South. The Cardinals on the other hand have lost five straight games -- their second five-game losing streak this season. You won't be surprised to learn that Houston is a big favorite in this matchup, but the Texans can't afford a misstep this late in the year. 

Let's break down this Week 15 matchup, but first, here's how you can watch the game. 

Where to watch Cardinals vs. Texans live

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 14 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Location: NRG Stadium -- Houston, Texas
  • TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Texans -9.5, O/U 42.5 (via DraftKings)

Cardinals vs. Texans: Need to know

  • Don't mess with Texans defense. Houston has the best defense in the NFL, and it ranks No. 1 in scoring defense (16.0) and in total defense (266.3 yards) entering Week 15. No team in the Super Bowl era has ever missed the playoffs having the No. 1 scoring defense and No. 1 total defense. This unit held Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes to a combined zero touchdowns and six turnovers!
  • An offensive dynamic duo? Houston may have a fantastic defense, but the Cardinals have an underrated dynamic duo on offense. Since taking over as the starting quarterback in Week 6, Jacoby Brissett leads the NFL in passing yards (2,459), while Michael Wilson leads all wide receivers in fantasy points (99.1 in PPR) over the last four games! In that span, he's caught 39 passes for 481 yards and two touchdowns. 
  • Another historical bounce-back. The Texans are not an old franchise, their first season was in 2002. However, they are on the verge of becoming the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs twice after an 0-3 start. Houston accomplished this in 2018, and is favored to do so again in 2025. 

Cardinals vs. Texans prediction, pick

Believe it or not, C.J. Stroud has never been favored by this margin before in his NFL career. That may give you pause as a Texans fan, but also consider that the Cardinals are 5-1 against the spread on the road this season, compared to 1-6 against the spread at home. However, getting this number at 9.5 is a lot better than 10 or 10.5, so I'll take the Texans at home. We know the defense will show up, but I truly believe the Texans offense is improving. 

As for the total, the Texans are 10-3 to the Under this season -- which is the best mark in the NFL. According to CBS Sports Research, it's the best Under percentage in a season since the 2020 New York Giants. Pick: Texans -9.5, Under 42.5