Texans at Chargers

Winless Chargers host Texans in Week 9

Los Angeles is 0-7 and has lost 7 straight, including a 9-24 loss to the Rams. Houston is 2-5, coming off a 21-27 home loss to the Giants after wins against the Jaguars and Titans. The Chargers are 0-3 at home, while the Texans are 1-1 on the road. Los Angeles is trying to avoid the league's first winless 17-game campaign, while Houston is 2nd in the AFC South and looking for a road win.

Keys to the game

• The Chargers average 14.1 points per game, while Houston scores 23.6. The winless Chargers have lost 7 straight, so the offense has to find an answer.
• The Chargers will be without safety Derwin James (hamstring) and cornerback Deane Leonard (concussion), and cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Rodney Shelley are questionable. That leaves the secondary short-handed against a Texans offense that is scoring 23.6 points per game.
• Houston has injury issues too: David Montgomery, Reed Blankenship, Jalen Pitre and Blake Fisher are out, while Tank Dell is questionable with a knee. The Texans still have a 1-1 road record and a win over the Titans on Oct 11.
• The teams last met in 2025, when the Texans won 20-16. Road teams have won 4 of 6 meetings since 2016, and Houston is 1-1 on the road this season.

Our take

Our model favors the Texans, and the facts back that up. Houston has the better record, the higher scoring average and a 1-1 road mark, while Los Angeles is 0-3 at home and averages 14.1 points per game. The Chargers allow 25 points per game, so the pressure is on a vulnerable secondary to contain a Texans offense that puts up 23.6. As long as Houston's offense plays to its standard, the Chargers' search for their first win looks set to continue.