3 Best NFL Bets and Player Props for Ravens at Texans on Christmas Day

Even within a single NFL game, betting markets are abundant.

You've got everything from spreads and totals to touchdown scorers and player props at your disposal. It can be a lot to sort through.

So, which bets stand out Chrismas Day as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Houston Texans? Let's dig into FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds to find out.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Ravens at Texans Betting Picks

Ravens -4.5 (-105)

We've already seen this spread shift from -3.5 to -4.5 during the day on Monday. And with the Texans' injuries on offense, I agree with that move.

Without adjusting for injuries, the Texans are 25th in my offensive power rankings. Part of that is due to the time that Nico Collins missed, but it's also because they're so dependent on C.J. Stroud late-down magic. They are in just the 24th percentile of early-down EPA. They're in the 55th percentile of late-down success rate, but they're just putting so much on Stroud's shoulders that it feels unsustainable, even before accounting for the loss of Tank Dell.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are first -- by a wide margin -- in early-down EPA and are second by a smidge in late-down success rate. When the gap between the two offenses is this large, I'm fine laying even 4.5 on the road.

Total Over 46.5 (-115)

I was okay with the over here when it was at 47.5. Although it's a bummer to see the market move the other direction, we now get a win on a key number of 47. That's a nice consolation.

Most of the enthusiasm is due to the aforementioned Ravens offense. They're a steam-roller, averaging 27.9 points per game this year despite some complete duds filtered in. They'll face a tough task this week with the Texans sitting second in my defensive power rankings, but they've had plenty of tough tasks this year. They just hung 34 points on the Pittsburgh Steelers (fifth in those rankings) and put up 41 on the Denver Broncos (third) earlier this year.

Even with my concerns about the Texans' offense, they should do enough here to push this one over. It's still Stroud and Collins, who have a special ability to generate explosives. That's why I'd prefer the game total versus the Ravens' team total: it gets me some exposure to the Stroud-Collins magic, even if it does hurt the spread bet above.

Dalton Schultz Over 33.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

When both Collins and Dell are healthy, it's hard to consider Dalton Schultz's yardage marks. But when the team is down to just one lethal pass-catcher, Schultz's role expands, allowing me to plug an over here.

With Dell leaving early on Saturday, Schultz turned 8 targets into 45 yards and a touchdown. He also went over this mark in one of the two games he played earlier this year without two of the big three receivers.

Schultz would get downgraded a bit if Cade Stover were to return. Stover was limited in practice Sunday after getting an appendectomy a few weeks ago. In two games without Stover, Schultz has played 94% and 81% of the snaps; he was generally in the 70s before that.

Given Stover's unlikely to be a full go even if he plays, though, I'm still comfortable taking the over on Schultz now before getting confirmation on Stover's status.

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Which bets stand out to you for this week's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL betting odds to see the lines for each contest.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.