Rams vs. Texans Prop Bets: How Does Stafford's Injury Return Impact the Rams' Skill Players

• Matthew Stafford will start Week 1 despite missing a month of training camp.

• The Rams allowed 29 passing touchdowns in 2024, which was tied for the fifth most allowed.

• Kyren Williams averaged 81 rushing yards per game for the Rams last season.

Week 1 of the NFL season features one of the league’s rarest matchups, as the Los Angeles Rams host the Houston Texans. This is just the sixth time these franchises have crossed paths, with the Rams winning four of the five meetings. That includes a 38-22 win in 2021 in the most recent Rams-Texans game. 

Of course, this is one of the more intriguing matchups for the opening weekend of the season. Both teams are coming off a 10-7 season and a division title in 2024, giving each big hopes for the 2025 season. However, the Rams are not the leading favorites in the latest NFC West odds. Meanwhile, the Texans face some competition in the AFC South, despite being the current favorite to win another division crown. Also, either the Rams or Texans could be an interesting sleeper in the latest Super Bowl odds. 

For such a tight and competitive matchup, prop bets might be the way to go for the Rams-Texans game. We’ve picked out three that we like the best with odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, where new customers can sign up and get $300 in bonus bets if they win their first wager.

C.J. Stroud Over 1.5 Passing Touchdowns (+116) at FanDuel Sportsbook 

While the Rams made the playoffs last season, their pass defense left a lot to be desired. Only four teams allowed more passing touchdowns than the 29 the Los Angeles defense gave up in 2024. Granted, the Rams are strong up front and have an emerging pass rusher like Jared Verse to bother opposing quarterbacks. But the Los Angeles secondary didn’t get any major improvements during the offseason, leaving much to be desired on the backend.

Naturally, that will play right into Stroud’s hands in the season opener. In fairness, Stroud had some ups and downs during his sophomore season and only had six games in which he threw multiple touchdown passes. That’s why we’re getting plus odds with this bet. But against a lackluster secondary, Stroud should have a good game and can afford to be more aggressive. With veteran Christian Kirk joining familiar faces like Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz, Stroud has the receivers available to throw multiple touchdown passes against the Rams.

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Kyren Williams Over 68.5 Rushing Yards (-114) at FanDuel Sportsbook 

The biggest question facing the Rams heading into Week 1 is the health of Matthew Stafford. While Stafford will play against the Texans after missing a month of training camp, it stands to reason that the Rams will lean heavily on Williams. That makes the over on Williams’ rushing yards the safe bet in Week 1, even against a solid Houston defense.

Not only did Williams average 81 rushing yards per game last season, but he also gets the lion’s share of the carries in the Los Angeles backfield. Backup Blake Corum and rookie Jarquez Hunter may see some snaps, but the Rams will ride Williams as much as possible. He’ll get more than enough carries to go over 68.5 rushing yards, a value he topped in 14 of 18 games last season.

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Puka Nacua Over 5.5 Receptions (-158) at FanDuel Sportsbook

As mentioned, the Rams will likely lean on Williams and their running game. But when they need Stafford to throw the ball, he’ll surely be looking at Nacua. Even with Davante Adams adding a new dimension to the Los Angeles offense, Nacua will still serve as Stafford’s safety net, which should lead to at least half a dozen receptions.

In the 13 games he played last season, including two playoff games, Nacua had at least six catches nine times. There were only two games in which he had fewer than eight targets, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch the ball. While the Texans have good cornerbacks, the presence of Adams will make it difficult to focus too much on Nacua, enabling Stafford to find him.

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