After defeating the Atlanta Falcons 20-10 at Levi’s Stadium last Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers are on the road again in Week 8 for an interconference battle with the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
Injuries have ravaged the 49ers through the first half of their 2025 campaign, but they’ve found a way to stay afloat, going 5-2 and fighting for a top spot in the division and conference. San Francisco will be without starting quarterback Brock Purdy once again on Sunday, but backup Mac Jones has done a great job in his place, leading them to a 4-1 record in his starts.
Houston’s offense has been mediocre this year, and things will be even harder for them this week, as they’ll be without wide receivers Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. That means quarterback C.J. Stroud will have to lean on Xavier Hutchinson, Braxton Berrios and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel at the position this week.
Before these two teams meet on the field on Sunday afternoon, we’ve gone through picks from over 35 experts from multiple different sites/publications to see who they’re taking in this matchup. Let’s take a look at what they said.
Here are all the top expert picks for 49ers vs. Texans in Week 8:
USA Today
ESPN
CBS Sports
Bleacher Report
Sports Illustrated
The Sporting News
“The Texans are favored on a short week, which is an interesting play. The 49ers’ defense allowed 10 points to the Falcons, and Christian McCaffrey had 201 all-purpose yards. That’s still a solid challenge for Houston, who is 1-1 S/U at home this season. How will C.J. Stroud respond here?”
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers vs. Texans picks: Who do experts predict will win Week 8 matchup?
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
