A Houston Texans preseason game at NRG Stadium, the venue for Thursday night's meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders
Houston hosts the Raiders on Thursday night at NRG Stadium after a 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers on August 14 | Photo: Wikimedia Commons
On Today's Board
Marquee Matchup
ESPN

Raiders at Texans

Thursday, 8:00 PM ET | NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Both clubs are 0-1 in the preseason and both got there the hard way. Houston was beaten 27-7 at home by the Chargers on August 14. Las Vegas lost 27-14 to Arizona the same night. Thursday's meeting is on ESPN, which makes it the one preseason game most of the country will actually see, and DraftKings has it at Houston -1.5 with a total of 38.5.

Las Vegas had one genuinely encouraging piece of that Arizona game. Fernando Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, a clean and unspectacular line that is exactly what a quarterback wants in his first live look. Mike Washington Jr. carried six times for 63 yards, better than ten a carry, and E.J. Williams Jr. turned his only catch into a 41 yard gain.

The problems were on the other side. Arizona's Gardner Minshew II went 14 of 16 for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the Las Vegas defense, a completion rate that says the coverage was not contesting much. Greedy Vance led the Raiders with 10 tackles and Patrick Johnson recorded the only sack, which is a lot of tackling and not much disruption.

Houston's offense did less. Davis Mills went 9 of 15 for 82 yards and a touchdown, Noah Whittington carried 13 times for 40 yards at 3.1 a carry, and rookie tight end Marlin Klein had the longest gain of the night at 31 yards on his only reception. Aiden Fisher led the defense with seven tackles and Naquan Jones had the sack. Seven points at home is the number the coaching staff has spent a week answering for.

Late Window
NFL Network

49ers at Chargers

Thursday, 10:00 PM ET | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

The Chargers are the only one of Thursday's four teams carrying a win, and they got it in Houston with the most complete performance of anybody on this board. Trey Lance went 12 of 20 for 164 yards with one interception and added 27 yards on three carries, and Amar Johnson turned two catches into 68 yards. Jahmeer Carter had a sack and Emany Johnson led the group with six tackles in a 27-7 result.

San Francisco arrives at 0-1 after a 19-13 loss to Tennessee on August 14. Adrian Martinez threw the ball 30 times, completed 16 and gained 159 yards, which is 5.3 a throw and the sort of night that keeps an offense stuck in second down and eight. Sincere McCormick carried ten times for 38 yards. De'Zhaun Stribling was the one bright spot with seven catches for 63 yards.

San Francisco's defense did its job. Tennessee's Cam Ward went 5 of 12 for 57 yards, Nick Martin piled up eight tackles and Ogbo Okoronkwo got home for a sack. Holding a team to 19 points and a 41 percent completion rate from its quarterback is a fine preseason night. San Francisco lost anyway because it could not score.

DraftKings has San Francisco at -1.5 in Los Angeles with the total at 38.5, the same number as the earlier game. Road favourite is an unusual label in a preseason where the home team is often the one with more veterans available, and it is the market saying the Chargers used their front line group in Houston and may not need to again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What NFL games are on Thursday, August 20, 2026?
Two preseason games. Las Vegas at Houston kicks off at 8:00 PM ET at NRG Stadium and is on ESPN nationally. San Francisco at Los Angeles kicks off at 10:00 PM ET at SoFi Stadium and is on NFL Network.
What are the betting numbers for both games?
DraftKings has Houston at -1.5 against the Raiders with a total of 38.5, and San Francisco at -1.5 at the Chargers with a total of 38.5. Both games carry the same number.
What are the preseason records of the four teams?
The Los Angeles Chargers are 1-0. Las Vegas, Houston and San Francisco are all 0-1. The Chargers earned their win by beating Houston 27-7 on August 14, which means the Texans are facing a second straight game against a team that has already beaten them or beaten someone convincingly.
Who stood out in the previous preseason games?
Fernando Mendoza went 10 of 16 for 97 yards and a touchdown for the Raiders. Trey Lance threw for 164 yards on 20 attempts for the Chargers and ran for 27 more. De'Zhaun Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards for San Francisco. Mike Washington Jr. averaged more than ten yards a carry on six attempts for Las Vegas.
Why do preseason totals sit so low?
Both of Thursday's totals are 38.5. Preseason games are shortened in effect by conservative play calling, heavy substitution and a running clock mentality in the second half, and the four teams involved combined for 61 points across four halves of football in their previous outings.
Does this page contain betting picks?
No. The NFL preseason board is analysis only. The single BetLegend play for August 20, 2026 is an MLB moneyline and it lives on its own pick page.
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