Looking for a spark and more consistent play under center, the Giants (3-2-1) named J.J. McCarthy as QB1 for their tilt Sunday in Houston against the Texans (2-4). Acquired earlier this season in a trade with the Vikings following the season-ending injury to Jaxson Dart (knee), McCarthy will be tasked with keeping the Giants’ winless streak from reaching three games against a Texans’ team who have won two in a row following a disastrous start to the campaign.
New York sits atop the NFC East despite losing 34-27 last weekend to the Saints. In that game, the Giants struggled in all three phases of the game until the fourth quarter when McCarthy took the reins of the offense and started moving the chains. Prior to the loss, the Giants had put together an impressive stretch that included victories over Arizona and Tennessee along with a 27-27 overtime tie against Washington. Malik Nabers has become the obvious focal point of the offense having been targeted 35 times in the last two games alone resulting in 23 catches for 286 yards and a touchdown. The Texans’ defensive backfield is a bit beat up but Derek Stingley Jr. and co. will need to find a way to limit the second-year wideout. Last weekend was Houston’s best effort and result of the season. They won in London against the division-leading Jaguars, 34-31. That followed a dominant 26-3 road win over Tennessee, giving DeMeco Ryans’ club its first winning streak of the season.
The biggest storyline has to be J.J. McCarthy. How good can the former first round pick be against Will Anderson Jr. and a hostile Texans’ defense? If he can survive that pass rush, the Giants will firm up their hold on first in the NFC East. Additional storylines include the return of Tank Dell. How many snaps will he play and how effective will he be?
Let’s dive into the numbers and see if we can’t find an additional sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Giants vs. Texans
- Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Time: 1:00P
- Site: Reliant Stadium
- City: Houston, TX
- TV/Streaming: FOX
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Latest Game Odd: Giants vs. Texans
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: New York Giants (+390), Houston Texans (-520)
- Spread: Texans -10.5
- Total: 42.5
It looks like its been all Texans’ money this week as the number has ballooned from Houston -5.5. The Total has actually dropped a point since opening at 43.5.
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Rotoworld Bet Best Bets
Expert Picks & Predictions: Giants vs. Texans
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, betting trends, and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s game between the Giants and the Texans:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports is recommending a play on the Giants +10.5.
- Total: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 42.5.
Here’s why the Giants +10.5 is the best bet:
This is the rare spot where the market has priced a quarterback change as a catastrophe and a 2-4 favorite as a juggernaut, and the number has drifted into a range that makes the road dog the clear play. The Texans are being asked to lay double digits with an offense that cannot run the football. Houston ranks 25th in rushing yards (84.83 per game), 26th in carries (23.67 per game), and 29th in yards per carry (3.58). That’s a team that has to throw to move the ball, and New York ranks 3rd in passing yards allowed (207.17 per game) and 5th in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.51) — they take away the pass.
McCarthy looks to continue success against Texans
Mike Florio previews the matchup between the New York Giants and the Houston Texans as J.J. McCarthy looks to continue his success after being traded to the Giants.
Giants vs. Texans: Betting Trends and Stats
- The Giants are 4-2 against the spread this season
- The Texans are 2-4 against the spread this season
- New York is 4-2 to the OVER this season
- Houston is 3-3 to the OVER this season
Quarterback Matchup: Giants vs. Texans
- Giants: J.J. McCarthy
2026 Statistics: 2GP, 243 Passing Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 90.0 RTG, Sacked 1 time - Texans: C.J. Stroud
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 1714 Passing Yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT, 100.9 RTG, Sacked 14 times
Giants vs. Texans: Top Playmakers
Giants
- RB Cam Skattebo
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 81 carries for 294 Yds, 1 TD / 10 receptions on 12 targets for 79 Yds, 0 TDs - TE Isaiah Likely
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 39 receptions on 60 targets for 383 Yds, 5 TDs - WR Malik Nabers
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 41 receptions on 61 targets for 494 Yds, 2 TDs
Texans
- RB Woody Marks
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 58 carries for 205 Yds, 2 TDs / 13 receptions on 16 targets for 79 Yds, 0 TDs - TE Dalton Schultz
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 28 receptions on 37 targets for 277 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Nico Collins
2026 Statistics: 4GP, 22 receptions on 29 targets for 323 Yds, 3 TDs / 2 carries for 12 Yds, 0 TDs
Giants vs. Texans: Injury Update
Giants
- WR Charlie Jones (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Theo Johnson (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LT Andrew Thomas (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- OT Marcus Mbow (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- RT Jermaine Eluemunor (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Tremaine Edmunds (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- SS Tyler Nubin (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- FS Jevon Holland (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Greg Newsome (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Colton Hood (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
Texans
- RB David Montgomery (groin) is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game
- TE Dalton Schultz (quad) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Tank Dell (knee) is expected to be activated off the IR prior to Sunday’s game
- LB Henry To’Oto’o (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Azeez Al-Shaair (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB C.J. Henderson (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- FS Reed Blankenship (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Jalen Pitre (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
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