NFL Playoff betting: Texans at Steelers lines, odds and best bet for Wild Card weekend

The final Wild Card matchup of the weekend features a gridiron scrap between the AFC’s fifth-seed Houston Texans and the fourth-seed Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Monday Night Football. It is the first meeting between the squads this season. 

Houston finished as the runner-up in the AFC South standings which landed them in this road contest against Pittsburgh. The Texans completed the season on a nine-game heater, including massive wins over the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the middle portion of the season. CJ Stroud has been excellent since his return from the injured list at the end of November and will look to keep this hot streak rolling to double-digits with a win in his fifth career postseason contest. 

Pittsburgh won the AFC North with a 10-7 record in a turbulent season in the Steel City. They lost five of seven games during the middle of the campaign and it seemed like Mike Tomlin’s head coaching position was in jeopardy. The Steelers pulled together when they needed to most with a pair of late wins over the Baltimore Ravens to help them secure their 10th AFC North title. 

AFC Wild Card: (5) Houston Texans at (4) Pittsburgh Steelers 

Kick Off: 8:15 p.m. ET  (Mon., 01/12/25)

Location: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, PA)

TV: ESPN / ABC

Houston enters the road matchup with success versus the spread (9-8) and the moneyline (12-5), but the Texans have been downright awful against the over-under (6-11) heading into the playoffs.  Pittsburgh sports a winning record against the sportsbooks against the spread (9-7-1), the moneyline (10-7) and the over-under (9-8). 

AFC Wild Card Odds: Texans at Steelers
Spread	HOU -3
Moneyline	HOU +136, PIT -162
Over-Under Total	38.5 points
Money Against the Spread	60% HOU
Bets Against the Spread	55% HOU
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook	Odds are subject to change

Houston enters the matchup as a road favorite with a 55% chance to win on Monday Night Football per ESPN. 

Best bet: Aaron Rodgers 200+ Passing Yards

Aaron Rodgers passed for 3,300+ yards and 24 touchdowns in his 21st NFL season. The future Hall-of-Fame QB is seeking his second Super Bowl title of his career and is now taking snaps for the team he beat (Pittsburgh) on his way to a Super Bowl MVP award in Super Bowl XLV in 2011.  The 42-year-old signal caller can’t have many seasons left at this juncture of his career, so look for Rodgers to be desperate for a win on Monday night. 

Houston’s defense is the best statistical unit in the league, allowing  an average of 277.2 yards per game (and just ahead of the Denver Broncos by an average of one whole yard!). The Texans defense places sixth in the league against the pass after allowing an average of 183.5 passing yards across 17 games this season. Rodgers will need to capitalize on his scoring opportunities against the Texans as he might not get many of them in this Wild Card matchup. 

It has been a wildly entertaining weekend around the NFL this weekend with nearly every matchup featuring one-score games heading into the final quarter. Houston and Pittsburgh have the opportunity to cap off a wildly-successful weekend of gridiron action. Can Rodgers turn back the clock to stun a red-hot Texans squad in Pittsburgh’s first home playoff date in five years?  It’s possible, but not likely. Defense wins championships and Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke will have his squad prepared for this Wild Card fight. 

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