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NFL Playoff picks and predictions: Bengals vs. Texans

The Houston Texans aren't exactly the hot pick they were just a month ago.

Jamie Squire

The Houston Bengals limped into the postseason and now hope to turn the jets back on, facing the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals once more in the AFC Wild Card round.

The Texans beat the Bengals in this very same game at Reliant Stadium on Saturday night last season, although this time around Matt Schaub will be under center. Houston lost three of the final four games of the season to lose out on home-field advantage and first round bye, with the Schaub tossing just one touchdown pass in that span.

Considering how strongly the Bengals finished out the season, it's not unexpected then that the Texans aren't the hot pick that they seemed to be just a month ago. Despite being the Super Bowl favorite for much of the season, the Bengals seem to have the majority, however slight, of the experts on their side.

Joel Thorman of SB Nation is picking the Bengals to win on the road, 20-16, while Pete Prisco of CBS also jumps on the "Bengals in a close one" bandwagon. Steven Keys of CBS Sports, however, is calling for a Houston victory while three out of five ESPN experts (those that have picked) are siding with the Texans.

Images by eflon used in background images under a Creative Commons license. Thank you.