2005 · Week 1

Final

Texans

Houston

QB David Carr

7·22

Bills

Buffalo

QB J.P. Losman

Ralph Wilson Stadium · outdoors · astroplay · 76°F · wind 0mph

Closing spread

BUF -4.5

Total

39

Model margin

+2.6est.

BUF perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Bills
  • Texans

How each play moved the game.

Bills winsTexans wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Texansedge mapBills
  • -0.099EPA / play-0.082
  • 40.0%Success rate39.5%
  • -0.099EPA / dropback-0.036
  • -0.098EPA / rush-0.141
  • 6.2%Explosive rate7.0%
  • 34.0%Third-down rate37.9%
  • 55.5%Red-zone TD rate43.1%
  • 1.30Points / drive1.44
  • 2.3%Turnover rate2.6%
  • +0.119EPA / play allowed+0.069

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

HOU lead 8–6 since 1999

Meetings average 41.4 points. BUF are 6-7-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2026 · W1BUF @ HOU3631BUF
2025 · W12BUF @ HOU1923HOU
2024 · W5BUF @ HOU2023HOU
2021 · W4HOU @ BUF040BUF
2019 · playoffsBUF @ HOU1922HOU
2018 · W6BUF @ HOU1320HOU
2015 · W13HOU @ BUF2130BUF
2014 · W4BUF @ HOU1723HOU

Box score

Individual performances

Texans

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
David Carr9/217003

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Domanick Williams14483.40
David Carr7405.71
Andre Johnson273.50

Bills

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
J.P. Losman17/2817010

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Willis McGahee221175.30
J.P. Losman6315.20
Shaud Williams7142.00
Lee Evans1-10-10.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +4.54.0%2.7%7.0%7.5%3.1%4.7%3.0%2.7%

Positive margins favour Bills; negative favour Texans.

Half-point at risk

1.94%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

56.1%

Expected total

45.3est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+0.06
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+2.62