Where to watch Texans vs. Broncos: TV channel, live stream, prediction, pick, odds, spread

Two of the NFL's best defenses take center stage Sunday when the Texans host the Broncos in Week 9 action.

The Texans have won three of four after an 0-3 start and are looking to improve their standing among the AFC teams on the outside looking in on the playoff picture while the 6-2 Broncos have won five straight -- tied with the Patriots for the longest active winning streak in the NFL -- and are hoping to maintain their spot atop the highly competitive AFC West.

Both C.J. Stroud and Bo Nix are coming off excellent performances, too, and how each performs against a difficult opponent will go a long way in determining the outcome of this one.

Where to watch Texans vs. Broncos live

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 2 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
• Where: NRG Stadium -- Houston, Texas
• TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Odds: Broncos -1.5; O/U 39.5 (via FanDuel)

Texans vs. Broncos: Need to know

• C.J. Stroud and Bo Nix both played well in Week 9: Both Stroud and Nix have had up-and-down seasons. Nix got off to a bit of a slow start and, after a better stretch, seemed to regress in a loss to the Jets and a brutal first three quarters against the Giants. Then he led a 33-point fourth quarter in a 33-32 win over the Giants and carried that form over to Week 8 against the Cowboys, when he tossed four touchdown passes in a 44-24 rout. Nix's 15 touchdown passes this seas rank in the top 10 league-wide. Stroud is also coming off a strong performance, absolutely shredding the 49ers with short passes in a 26-15 win even though top wide receiver Nico Collins was out.
• Broncos' pass rush is in line for a big day: This game features the NFL's top three players in terms of quarterback pressure percentage: Houston's Will Anderson Jr. followed by Denver's Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. And don't forget about Danielle Hunter, the five-time Pro Bowl edge defender bookending Anderson Jr. on Houston's defensive front. While all four players should have big impacts Sunday, the Broncos' duo is especially set up for success. Stroud has taken 2.14 sacks per game this season, the 11th-highest rate in the NFL, and Houston tackles Aireontae Ersery and Tytus Howard have been up and down (especially Ersery, a rookie).
• Don't expect a lot of points: The 39.5 point total is one of the lowest this season. In fact, it's just the seventh game with an over/under total of fewer than 40 points. Of those previous six game, five have finished with fewer than 40 total points.

Texans vs. Broncos prediction, pick

The Broncos will be without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II (pectoral), and that is a huge loss, even if Denver has plenty of other capable cornerbacks. Ultimately, the Broncos' advantages in the trenches -- their pass rush vs. the Texans' pass protection as well as the Broncos' superior run game -- turns the tide in their favor as they win their sixth straight. Pick: Broncos -1.5; Over 39.5