Texans vs. Lions: The best betting props for Thanksgiving

Fresh off a victory over the New England Patriots last weekend, the Houston Texans travel to Detroit to face the Lions on Thanksgiving. 

The Lions are coming off a shutout loss at the hands of the Carolina Panthers last Thursday, and have struggled defensively throughout the season. Their poor play has Deshaun Watson and the Texans licking their chops.

Here are the three prop bets we like most for Houston Texans vs. Detroit Lions. 

Will Fuller receptions

The Texans will be without wide receivers Kenny Stills and Randall Cobb on Thursday, which should mean another healthy dose of targets for the speedy Will Fuller, who is enjoying his best season since being selected in the first round by the Texans in 2016.

Fuller has averaged about 6.8 targets per game, and he’s made good on many of those targets with a 69% catch rate while averaging more than 15 yards per catch.

Most recently, he had a productive day against a strong Patriots defense, with six catches on eight targets for 80 yards. Looking back his last five games, Fuller has had five or more catches in four of those outings. 

Fuller is averaging 4.7 catches per game this season, and he’ll need six to hit the Over on total receptions against the Lions, who give up an average of 23 catches per game. At odds of +100, taking the Over is worth a play here. 

Pick: Over 5.5 receptions (+100)

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Anytime touchdown scorer

The Texans' run game has struggled in recent weeks, with Duke Johnson Jr. taking over for the injured David Johnson. 

Duke Johnson has eclipsed 50 yards rushing only once in the last three games, and was held to just 15 yards on 10 attempts against the Patriots last week. That 1.5 average yards per carry won’t cut it, but if Johnson remains the primary back this week, he should be able to find some breathing room. 

Detroit's defense is giving up 4.5 yards per carry this season, while allowing a league worst 17 rushing touchdowns. Johnson has one touchdown in his last three games, but the Lions' struggling defense could be just what the doctor ordered for the rugged running back. 

If and when the Texans get into the red zone, Johnson should get his targets and touches. And against the Lions, that gives him an excellent opportunity to score.

Pick: Duke Johnson Jr. anytime touchdown (+105)

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Matthew Stafford touchdown passes

Matthew Stafford was held in check last week, throwing for 178 yards and zero touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers, who shut out the Lions entirely on the scoreboard. 

This week, the matchup seems more favorable for the Lions QB. The Texans’ defense is middle of the pack when it comes to allowing touchdown passes, giving up 19 with only two interceptions. That’s just under two touchdown passes allowed per game, so the Over would seem like the clear choice. 

However, there are a couple of risk factors to consider. For starters, Stafford's best receiver, Kenny Golladay, was held out of Tuesday’s practice with a hip injury, and his status was still uncertain as of Wednesday morning. D’Andre Swift was a limited participant in practice Tuesday, and Stafford himself is dealing with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. 

After being shut out last week, and with injuries perhaps having an impact once again, Stafford is likely to struggle to connect with receivers in the end zone. 

Pick: Under 1.5 touchdown passes (+120)

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