Sharp money moves line on Bills-Texans ‘Thursday Night Football’ game

The Bills shot up to 6-point favorites over the Texans this week after Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was ruled out for their “Thursday Night Football” game with a concussion.

“We opened 5½, and once we heard Stroud was out, we bumped it up to 6,” Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons said. “But the line was pretty much made with him not playing.”

Sharp bettors at the Westgate took the Texans, as the consensus line dipped to 5½ on Thursday and as low as 5 at the South Point sportsbook.

“We saw some sharp play on the Texans +6 (Thursday) morning,” SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said Thursday afternoon. “Currently at Bills -5½.”

Professional sports bettor Randy McKay made the Texans +6 one of his best bets this week.

“Line opened -3½. Went up with Stroud news,” said McKay (@RR39). “Houston’s offense is better at home than on the road versus a below-average Buffalo defense. On the other side, you have (Bills quarterback) Josh Allen against one of the top defenses in the league without weapons.”

Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid, a Faith Lutheran High product, and Bills wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Mecole Hardman will miss Thursday’s game.

The consensus total is 44½, with the South Point at 45.

The Texans are on a 4-1 under run at home and 8-3 under run overall.

“I expect a low-scoring game,” Salmons said. “It’s a game Buffalo figures to win, but I think Houston will keep it low scoring — 20-10, 23-17 — something like that. I definitely lean to the under.”

The Texans (5-5, 4-6 ATS) beat the Bills 23-20 last season in Houston and have won three of the past four meetings. The Texans have won and covered two of their past three home games, beating the 49ers 26-15 and erasing a 29-10 deficit in a 36-29 win over the Jaguars while losing 18-15 to the Broncos.

The betting public is all over Buffalo (7-3, 5-5 ATS), which has won and covered three of its past four games, including Sunday’s 44-32 win over the Buccaneers. The Bills are 2-2 straight up on the road, whipping the Jets 30-10 and Panthers 40-9 while losing 24-14 to the Falcons and 30-13 to the Dolphins.

At STN Sports, 78 percent of the tickets are on the Bills. At BetMGM, 79 percent of the wagers and 84 percent of the money are on Buffalo.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.