Without DeAndre Hopkins, NFL oddsmakers not optimistic on Texans' playoff chances

The most widely-panned offseason move by any team in the NFL this year has to be when Houston Texans coach/general manager Bill O'Brien traded one of the league's top three wideouts in DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in mid-March for past-his-prime, overpriced running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and 2021 fourth-rounder. Houston also sent back a 2020 fourth-round pick.

Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns last season and in seven seasons had 8,602 receiving yards, including five years over the 1,100-yard receiving mark. The four-time All-Pro was absolutely Deshaun Watson's go-to receiver and amazing on third down. Watson has just nine career dropbacks without Hopkins in the lineup.

O'Brien justified the trade because Hopkins and he apparently didn't see eye-to-eye at times and the former Clemson star wanted a contract extension despite having three years left on his deal. For what it's worse, O'Brien selected TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock with that Cardinals second-round pick. Still, the New York Giants got way more for Odell Beckham in a trade last year with the Browns, and the Vikings also got a much better haul from the Bills this winter in sending wideout Stefon Diggs to Buffalo.

Houston has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and four of the past five, but no doubt in large part due to this trade William Hill oddsmakers list the 2020 Texans as +155 underdogs on the moneyline odds to make it and -180 to miss out.

O'Brien got a so-so replacement for Hopkins in trading for the Rams' Brandin Cooks. Houston traded a 2020 second-round draft pick (No. 57 overall) to the Rams for Cooks and a 2022 fourth-round pick. In his two seasons in Los Angeles, Cooks had 122 catches for 1,787 yards and seven touchdowns. Hopkins is capable of that in one season, frankly. 

The Texans have the toughest strength of schedule in the first four weeks this year based on their opponents' 2019 records as the team's first four opponents (Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, Vikings) went a combined 44-20 in 2019. Houston is the biggest Week 1 underdog on the NFL odds, getting 9.5 points in Kansas City on Sept. 10 in the Kickoff Game. 

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