TL;DR
- Houston Texans need a win against Buffalo Bills to improve playoff chances.
- Texans are 5-5, Bills are 7-3; a win is crucial for AFC standings.
- A Texans victory increases playoff odds from 26% to 37%, according to ESPN Analytics.
- Head-to-head tiebreaker is important if Texans compete with Bills for a playoff spot.
A win on Thursday Night Football would be absolutely huge for the Houston Texans against the Buffalo Bills.
The Texans are 5-5 heading into tonight's game. They currently hold the No. 8 position in the AFC, which is one spot outside the final playoff berth.
The Bills are 7-3. They hold the top wild card spot, the No. 5 seed.
It's Week 12, so there's still some time to make a move, but it's a big swing game to be sure.
MORE: 3 major costs to the Buffalo Bills' whiffed draft pick of Keon Coleman
AFC Wild Card tiebreaker scenarios for The Texans in Week 12
In wild card standings, the head-to-head result serves as the initial tiebreaker. Should teams finish with identical records and have competed against each other, the team that secured victory in their direct contest will be ranked higher.
Houston wouldn't make up all its ground on Buffalo with a win, but it'd get close.
ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime shared this stat:
"The Texans enter the game with 26% odds to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics; if Houston wins Thursday, it'll increase its odds to 37%. A loss would drop it down to 15%."
The Texans are quite likely to end up in the seventh and final playoff position. Should they find themselves competing with The Bills for that spot, securing the tiebreaker would be highly advantageous for them.
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- Khalil Shakir welcomed his first baby
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