Texans at Ravens: Preview, prediction, odds and pick

The Texans and Ravens will wrap up Week 12 on Monday Night Football, with both teams looking to crawl back into any slim hopes for a playoff spot.

The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans both had so much potential at the beginning of the season to possibly win their divisions, but now both squads are just scratching and clawing to even have a chance at making the postseason in 2017.

While the Texans have a long laundry list of injuries to use as an excuse for their struggles, the Ravens have just seen their offense falter while their defense simply dominates. Joe Flacco and Jeremy Maclin haven’t had the same impact together that everyone had expected them to when the season got going, and now it’s too late for them to make a difference in the AFC North Standings.

Both teams are falling behind in their respective divisions, with the Ravens at 5-5 and three games back in the AFC North and the Texans at 4-6 in third place and three games behind. With just six games left for both teams in the regular season, it’ll take a serious run for one of them to jump into the playoff scene.

Odds: Ravens -7, according to Odds Shark

This one would’ve been an intense defensive battle had the Texans defense not fallen apart over the last half of a season, but it should still be a close matchup to give you some entertainment to round out Week 12. Both teams have some lackluster offenses to work with, and this one should come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes with the ball in their hands.

Next: 10 craziest NFL fan bases

I see the Ravens meeting the odds to win in a two-possession game, going back above .500 and getting back into the wildcard race.

Prediction: Ravens 23, Texans 13