New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans 2017: Early Prediction, Betting Odds, Preview For NFL Divisional Playoff

The Houston Texans (10-7) will attempt to overcome their own road woes – both this season and historically in the postseason - by holding off the New England Patriots (14-2) on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots enter the showdown with a 16-1 postseason record at home with Tom Brady under center, including a five-game winning streak. New England has technically lost twice at home during the playoffs over the last 15 years, but then-reserve Matt Cassel, not Brady, was the signal caller for one of those games.

Houston, led by former Bill Belichick assistant coach Bill O’Brien, can't boast of the same postseason success. The Texans are fresh off their third all-time playoff victory after a win Saturday over the Oakland Raiders, but have never won a playoff game on the road. New England handed the Texans a 41-28 defeat in 2012’s divisional round at Gillette in the only postseason meeting between the two teams.

Due to their stellar home record, as well as Texans' quarterback Brock Osweiler’s inconsistent performances, the Patriots are listed as the biggest favorites of the weekend at 16 points, according to multiple betting websites.

The betting line seemingly casts aside the fact that New England will be facing the NFL’s top-ranked defense, but Osweiler is expected to play a key role. Making his first playoff start, the 26-year-old former Denver Broncos reserve went 14-for-15 for 168 yards and a touchdown against Oakland for a 90.1 passer rating, his third-highest of the season.

But the Texans defense also forced three interceptions out of rookie Raiders quarterback Connor Cook, who hadn’t appeared in a game since college, and held Oakland to only two conversions on third down.

It was a testament to how well Houston’s been able to adapt with All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt, and perhaps due to the emergence of star pass rusher Jadaveon Clowney.

New England will be fresh off its well-earned bye week with Brady playing particularly well. The 17-year veteran has been intercepted twice this season while completing 67.4 percent of his attempts for 3,554 yards and 28 touchdowns on the season.

As a result, the Patriots finished fourth in the league in total offense and third in points per game, averaging 386.3 yards and 27.6 points. Brady was also helped by the seventh-best rushing offense in the league, a major improvement compared to last year when New England was No. 30 in the NFL. Veteran running back LeGarrette Blount logged a career-high 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns for his second 1,000-yard season since his rookie year in 2010.

But if any defense is capable of slowing down these Patriots, it might be the Texans, despite Week 3’s 27-0 blowout loss earlier this season. Houston allowed a league-low 301.3 yards per game and 20.5 points a contest, and was the best first-down defense in the league, allowing the fewest by far.

Surprisingly, the Texans managed to lead the league in several top defensive categories, including 11th in opponents’ third-down conversion rate, despite forcing a mere 17 turnovers.

Las Vegas oddsmakers don't anticipate a high-scoring game, setting the over/under at 45 points.

Prediction: New England over Houston, 30-9