Houston (0-0) vs Minnesota (0-0)
August 9, 2025 at 04:00 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Minnesota -3 — Over/Under:
The Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings meet Saturday in NFL preseason action at U.S. Bank Stadium. Here’s a Houston Texans vs Minnesota Vikings Prediction. This article will include a Houston Texans vs Minnesota Vikings Pick.
Houston Texans Betting Preview
The Texans are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and enter the third year under coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans have never won double-digit games three straight years in franchise history.
Offensively, it’s going to be interesting to see what we get from quarterback C.J. Stroud, as he took a step back last year. Of course, injuries and a poor offensive line don’t help, and that OL still has questions. When healthy the offense should be OK, as running back Joe Mixon has become reliable, and you can do worse than a receiving tandem of Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. Still, it’s hard to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender if the offensive line doesn’t improve.
Defensively, the Texans were one of the best in the league last season, and that should remain the case. The defensive line is led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, while the secondary has Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. C.J. Gardner-Johnson comes over from the Eagles to make the backend even better. The Texans will be a top-five defense in the NFL, and it’s why they should be favored to win the AFC South.
Minnesota Vikings Betting Preview
The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games last season and hope to make the playoffs back-to-back years for the first time since 2009. Coach Kevin O’Connell enters his fourth year and has a 66.7 percent winning percentage.
Offensively, the Vikings will find out quickly about J.J. McCarthy, as they move on from Sam Darnold. He’s in a good position with arguably the best receiving duo in Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson. Tight end T.J. Hockenson is highly productive when healthy, and the offensive line should improve with the additions of Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. The offense comes down to how quickly a 22-year-old McCarthy can hit the ground running.
Defensively, the Vikings are an aggressive unit under Brian Flores that blitzes and creates turnovers. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel lead the charge up front, and additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave make it even better. The secondary has questions with players leaving, but the Vikings’ defense will remain aggressive and make game changing plays due to who is calling the shots.
Houston Texans vs Minnesota Vikings Prediction
I’m only focused on quarterback depth in preseason games. A combination of Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer doesn’t do much for me. The Vikings also have offensive line concerns, which makes things even worse. Davis Mills is a veteran who has shown flashes at times and is the best option out of all of these guys. A drive or two could be the difference for the Texans. I’ll grab the free field goal with the Texans.