A critical showdown will be heading our way in Week 17 as the San Francisco 49ers host the Houston Texans at Levi's Stadium. Who will prevail in this Texans vs 49ers matchup? Here's a preview of this key NFL game.

Houston Texans installed as +15 underdogs

The Houston Texans will head to their showdown against the San Francisco 49ers with momentum on their side after beating the Los Angeles Chargers in a high-scoring affair in Week 16. The Texans pulled off a 41-29 victory over the Chargers to extend their winning streak to two games.

For the Texans to stretch their unbeaten run against the Niners, they will need to establish the run once again. They punished LA's defensive line all afternoon long, racking up 189 yards rushing against the Chargers. The bulk of those came from Rex Burkhead, who ran for a career-high 149 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

What made the Texans' win so impressive was that they pulled it off even with a COVID-19 outbreak in their midst. Sixteen Texans missed the game because of COVID-19, including defensive end Jonathan Greenard, kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, top receiver Brandin Cooks, and center Justin Britt.

They managed to record their first winning streak of the season by utilizing a ground game that had been non-existent in 2021. The Texans entered the game against the Chargers ranked 32nd in the NFL in rushing offense. Burkhead's star turn caught the Chargers by surprise as Los Angeles' playoff hopes took a huge hit with the loss.

San Francisco 49ers enter Week 17 as -15 favorites

San Francisco had its two-game winning streak snapped in Week 16 with a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans. It was a costly defeat for the 49ers, who lost more ground to the Los Angeles Rams in the race for the NFC West title. They are now out of contention for the division crown, with the 49ers trailing the Rams by three games heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

The good news for Kyle Shanahan's men is that they are still inside the playoff picture. They are currently in sixth place in the NFC standings with an 8-7 record. They hold the tiebreaker over the Philadelphia Eagles, who carry a similar slate.

For the 49ers to return to the win column against the Texans, they will need to get a much-improved showing from Jimmy Garoppolo. In the Week 16 loss to the Titans, he struggled mightily, throwing two costly interceptions that handed Tennessee the victory.

The 49ers had the game under control, holding a 10-0 lead after the first two quarters. Those turnovers doomed San Francisco in the second half, with Tennessee outscoring them 20-7 during that period. This was San Francisco's first defeat after leading by at least 10 points at the halftime interval under coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers had won all 18 games in the regular season and playoffs with those kinds of leads.

Writer's Prediction

San Francisco wins, but Houston covers the spread.

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