Steelers vs. Texans: Week 4 preview, injury updates, odds, & more

Update: The Steelers have ruled out punter Pressley Harvin and OG James Daniels for Week 4 vs. Texans.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back out on the road this week, this time headed south for a showdown with the Houston Texans in Week 4. While the Steelers have an edge with their 2-1 record, the Texans are leveraging some momentum of their own coming off a huge upset win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road last week.

Here’s a preview of all you need to know for the Steelers-Texans game in Week 4, including game Information, injury updates, odds and more.

Steelers vs. Texans game info

Date: Sunday, October 1

Kickoff time: 1 p.m. ET

Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV channel: CBS (Broadcast map)

The Steelers enter this road matchup with a 2-1 record, currently leading the AFC North despite the Ravens and Browns also sitting at 2-1, with the tie-breaker coming thanks to Pittsburgh’s 2-0 record in the conference. After a blowout loss to the 49ers in Week 1, the defense has helped carry this team back to relevance with back-to-back wins.

That defense, of course, is led by LB T.J. Watt — AKA, Mr. AFC Defensive Player of the Month — who will now look to wreak havoc against rookie QB C.J. Stroud — AKA, Mr. NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month. Through three weeks, he’s thrown for 906 passing yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions, even if it has amounted to a 1-2 start.

Stroud’s start to his career isn’t just great; it is historic, as Stroud has officially broken the NFL rookie record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception. It might be a tough ask to see that record continue, however, against the Steelers pass rush and a secondary that can take advantage of the mistakes that pass rush can force, currently one of six teams with 4+ interceptions on the season through three weeks.

Injury news and updates

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the week with a fairly lengthy injury report, but things cleared up a bit on Thursday. Several players listed on the initial report were upgraded to full practice participants, including S Miles Killebrew (knee), OL Chukwuma Okorafor (elbow), and FB Connor Heyward (ankle). Though WR Allen Robinson and DT Larry Ogunjobi were both limited, it seems like both are likely to suit up on Sunday.

Two injuries worth watching closely ahead of Week 5 kickoff are those of punter Pressley Harvin (hamstring) and guard James Daniels (groin), who didn’t participate in Wednesday or Thursday’s practices. In preparation for Harvin’s potential absence, the Steelers signed punter Brad Wing to the practice squad. Meanwhile, if Daniels were to miss, the team might look to one of their versatile backup OL Nate Herbig or seventh-round rookie Spencer Anderson.

The Houston Texans’ injury report looks a bit more dire, set to miss several starters in Week 4.

Things look particularly gruesome on the offensive line, as the Texans deal with a number of injuries to their starters. Pro Bowl LT Laremy Tunsil (knee) was ruled out for his third consecutive game, and backup Josh Jones will also miss Week 4 with a hand injury. Starting right tackle Tytus Howard also remains out with a broken hand suffered in training camp. After starting the season on injured reserve, he’ll be eligible to be activated for Week 5. Luckily, they have former Steelers OL Kendrick Green to lean on, right?

Luckily, while the offensive line is in shambles, the Texans are piecing at least some of their secondary back together, including a return to practice for S Jalen Pitre, who missed Week 3 with a chest injury. CB Shaq Griffin, who was limited with a foot injury to start the week, got in a full practice Thursday too.

Steelers vs. Texans odds

Point spread: Steelers -3
Over/under: 42.5
Moneyline odds: Steelers -148, Texans +124

Heading into the weekend, most bettors have aired on the side of Pittsburgh, with 63% of the handle (total money wagered) and 71% of point spread bets on the game being wagered on the Steelers -3. Notably, this is the first game in which the Steelers have been favored so far in the 2023 season.

All odds come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Odds/lines are subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.