Houston’s Deshaun Watson Faces Tough Test Versus Chiefs

Sunday’s Week 5 NFL regular season schedule concludes with a Sunday Night Football showdown between the visiting Kansas City Chiefs and the host Houston Texans. The current line has the game as a PICK, with the over/under point total sitting on 45.

Entering this game, Kansas City is 4-0 straight up and against the spread. On the road, the Chiefs are 2-0 SU and ATS. Houston on the season is 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS. At home, the Texans are 1-1 SU and ATS.

Kansas City enters this game as the only unbeaten team in the NFL after four weeks but will have a stiff test against Houston and the Texans’ rookie sensation at quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The Chiefs will be coming in off a late game field that beat the Washington Redskins Monday night. Kansas City has its own flashy rookie in running back Kareem Bell who leads the NFL in rushing with 502 yards and has 659 yards from scrimmage.

Houston has been a different team since Watson took over at quarterback. The rookie out of Clemson either passed or rushed for five touchdowns in Houston’s 57-14 rout of Tennessee. But All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt has cautioned his Texans’ teammates not to get carried away over the win last week.

Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith is playing superb under center. Smith knows how tough it can be playing on the road and knows limiting turnovers is the key to his team’s success. He leads the NFL in passer rating at 124 and completion percentage at 76%.

Watson passed for 283 yards and four TDs last week while rushing for another. DeAndre Hopkins with 31 receptions is Watson’s favorite target, but Will Fuller another wide receiver caught two touchdowns passes last week against the Titans.

Kansas City’s Hunt can become just the second rookie in NFL history with 100 yards from scrimmage or more in each of his first five NFL games.

Houston’s Watson is the only rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw seven or more touchdowns passes and rush for two more in his first four games of his rookie season.

Houston beat Kansas City last season 19-12, but Kansas City had won three straight against Houston prior to that loss.

Kansas City is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games on the road.

Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games after a win straight up.

Prediction: This will be Watson’s biggest game he has played to date facing the undefeated Chiefs, but he will keep the Texans close and cover the number, as the Chiefs will have a slight letdown from last Monday’s last minute win.