Texans vs Chargers betting — Look, we all glance at car crashes if we drive by because we are inquisitive creatures, even when it comes to not-great things. And I'm a bit intrigued by one of the worst NFL games on Sunday's schedule when Houston (2-5) visits the Los Angeles Chargers (0-7).

Key Developments and Main Event

Pretty much everyone expected both teams to be AFC contenders just like they were last year, but it has been a disaster for each club. In fact, this matchup will make league history with just how dramatically each franchise has fallen on its face in 2026.

Sign up to bet on NFL games using the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets: It's a 1 p.m. ET kick on CBS and clearly was the marquee game on our network back when the schedule came out. Houston is a 4.5-point favorite in the DraftKings NFL odd and the Texans are just getting hammered at 99% of the handle and 79% of the bets.

Core Facts and Essential Highlights

On the small total of 40.5, 87% of the money and 54% of the bets are on the Under. This will mark the worst combined record (2-12) entering a matchup in Week 9 or later between teams both coming off playoff appearances in NFL history. Great pull, CBS research! The clubs were a combined 23-11 in the 2025 regular season.

Both head coaches in DeMeco Ryans and Jim Harbaugh now seem on hot seats. One sportsbook released updated first NFL coach fired odds this week – this is the longest in a season we have gone without a firing since 2017 -- and Indianapolis' Shane Steichen is the -175 leader with Harbaugh at +800 and Ryans at +1200.

Broader Context and Market Implications

Chargers same-game parlay • Los Angeles alt +11.5 DraftKings SGP price: +140 (subject to change) Houston won at least 10 regular-season games each of the past three seasons and reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs. I thought the Texans might actually be better this year with some offseason moves, quarterback C.J.

Stroud in a contract-eligible year and a return to health of players like promising wideout Tank Dell, who missed all of 2025. Oddsmakers listed the Texans at 9.5 wins entering the season (Over around -150) and they were -180 to make the playoffs, an implied probability of 64.3%. Now those numbers are 7.5 (Over -175) and +190 (implied probability of 34.5%).

The SportsLine Projection Model gives the Texans a win total of 8.44 and a 30% playoff shot that jumps to 35.9% with a win – not a huge jump, as the model largely expects a Houston win. Stroud has been great after a disappointing 2025 season and is going to make major bank soon playing on his fourth-year rookie deal without an extension.

It's not all on the usually terrific Houston defense this year, but a lot of it is: That unit is allowing 6.9 points per game more than last season (17.4 to 24.3). That's the worst such rise in the NFL. The Chargers are only the third team in the past 30 seasons to start 0-7 after making the playoffs along with the 1997 Colts and 2011 Colts.

The '97 season was the year before Peyton Manning arrived, and he missed '11 with a neck injury. is the first club to start 0-7 with the sixth-shortest or better preseason Super Bowl odds since the 1978 Bengals Wager on the NFL with the latest FanDuel promo code and get up to $200 in bonus bets: Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert hasn't missed a game.

He has just been bad while making $52.5 million per season.