Picks for 1/12/26
NFL
8:15 PM EST
Rotation # 386
Steelers +3 over Texans (loss)
The Steelers needed a missed field goal at the horn to sneak into the playoffs. The Texans are rolling, winners of nine straight. There is no doubt that the Texans have the superior defense, as they statistically dominated the league this season. Still, they do share some of the same offensive struggles the Steelers have endured. Two keys lead me to take the Steelers. The first is the weather. Although it’s not too cold at 33 degrees, it is the coldest game the Texans have played this year, as they have played 75% of their games indoors. There is a big difference between playing in perfect conditions and playing in January weather in the Northeast. The second is that I am not thrilled about the Texans’ run game. Nick Chubb is not the player he once was, and Woody Marks is just a rookie in his first playoff appearance. Jawhar Jordan is a nice change-up to the running game, but he will miss tonight’s game due to an ankle injury. Texans QB CJ Stroud is a good player, but not someone who scares you on the road. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers’ glory days are in the rear-view mirror, but DK Metcalf is always a threat, and Rodgers will have windows to get his tight ends involved. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell will need to make a couple of explosive runs. The homecrowd advantage means a lot in the playoffs. Pittsburgh is no stranger to making games sloppy and frustrating for its fan base, and should be able to stay in the game as long as it doesn’t hand over points. Pittsburgh’s struggled this year, but it’s a veteran team that will be ready to compete on the grandest stage. Take the Steelers.
8:15 PM EST
Rotation # 386
Steelers +3 over Texans (loss)
The Steelers needed a missed field goal at the horn to sneak into the playoffs. The Texans are rolling, winners of nine straight. There is no doubt that the Texans have the superior defense, as they statistically dominated the league this season. Still, they do share some of the same offensive struggles the Steelers have endured. Two keys lead me to take the Steelers. The first is the weather. Although it’s not too cold at 33 degrees, it is the coldest game the Texans have played this year, as they have played 75% of their games indoors. There is a big difference between playing in perfect conditions and playing in January weather in the Northeast. The second is that I am not thrilled about the Texans’ run game. Nick Chubb is not the player he once was, and Woody Marks is just a rookie in his first playoff appearance. Jawhar Jordan is a nice change-up to the running game, but he will miss tonight’s game due to an ankle injury. Texans QB CJ Stroud is a good player, but not someone who scares you on the road. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers’ glory days are in the rear-view mirror, but DK Metcalf is always a threat, and Rodgers will have windows to get his tight ends involved. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell will need to make a couple of explosive runs. The homecrowd advantage means a lot in the playoffs. Pittsburgh is no stranger to making games sloppy and frustrating for its fan base, and should be able to stay in the game as long as it doesn’t hand over points. Pittsburgh’s struggled this year, but it’s a veteran team that will be ready to compete on the grandest stage. Take the Steelers.