I have been patient, this is the first game I will play this year. I normally like to wait until 2 or 3 weeks have already played out to wager but this one is fair enough.

Houston -3.5

Key factor will be JJ Watt vs. a Rookie and a playier switching positions on the line. All Pro's cannot stop number 99, the guys given the task tonight are far from that. As we have seen last year, he can wreck havoc all game long and will tonight. Add in the fact that Cushing is back and the Texans have kicker Bullock healthy and this should be an easy win for them. The Texans had to play with a horrible kicker last year. They do not have the greatest special teams but with Bullock the kicks will be going thru the end zone. He can also boot them from 50+ while last years kicker had a hard time with anything over 35 yards. That will add 3-6 points to every game for the Texans.

So, Rivers will be on his back or tossing errant passes for the most part of the night. The Texans do not allow you to run so passing will be the Chargers only option and they just do not have the talent to get it done.

GL!

What about -6 line still a play? Looking forward for all your plays!

-6 is kinda high, I do think they can cover but I would possibly pass or just bet an action wager on that.

Jeromey Clary and D.J. Fluker will be at right guard and right tackle respectively

Fluker will be making his first start in the NFL after being drafted 11th overall out of Alabama, while Clary will be starting at guard for the first time in his career after seven seasons at right tackle.

Both struggled in pass protection though, with Fluker having a Pass Blocking Efficiency of 94.6 and Clary of 92.9.

Not the kind of numbers you want to see from guys trying to block Watt

Shareece Wright and Derek Cox will have their hands full in their first starts for the Chargers on Monday night. They’ll be matched up against the physically imposing duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson.

The Chargers have a big question mark on their hands with Wright. The third-year corner has played only 124 snaps in two seasons since being selected in the third round out of USC.

The former Jaguar playing opposite of Wright may be just as big of a question mark. There’s times like the Detroit game last season where Calvin Johnson burned him to the tune of 121 yards on eight of nine targets. Chargers fans have to hope Cox can get back to that 2011 form Monday night and not give up 11 catches for 135 yards like he did the last time he faced the Texans.

Maybe the best D player on SD but he has to go up against one of the best in the business in Duane Brown. No advantage here in the one place the Chargers may hope to have improved in the off season.

Those are my reasons explained. Add in the healthy Texans especially Cushing ( I believe the Texans were 6-0 last year before Cushing got hurt with big wins over teams similar to SD) and Bullock and I think it is a good way to start the season.

Nice to see you back. Hope all is well.

First, thanks George, everything is 100% better than last year. Things are going great, knock on wood.

Took the loss in this one but happy the Texans won. I got a little of it back on 2nd half -7 but still lost some.

The Texans were just rusty and SD had a very good game plan for them.

Things I noticed for the future.

Watt did have an amazing game. He brutalized the guys he was supposed to. It does not show in the box score with the sacks but he played a great game.

Freeney looked great for SD. He pretty much brutalized one of the best linemen in football all night. He is a guy to watch and may make SD a much better team that can cover a few lines especially against weaker lineman.

Let me say this, this was really a game of inches. SD caught all the breaks in the first half and this could have been a Texans blowup with a few inches this way or that way. The SD CB's are bad. A better passing team will beat them badly so I will be watching for that matchup. They are not nearly as good as they looked on the scoreboard. Just something to think about down the line. They have problems with their OL and Secondary and the right team will stomp them.