PLAYING THE PONIES

Sam Houston Race Park selections for Wednesday, Jan. 15

Horses leave the gate at Sam Houston Race Park
Courtesy photo


Here are my selections for Wednesday afternoon at Sam Houston Race Park. These are not meant to be in exact order, but merely the four horses I think have the best chance to win. For beginners, I suggest exacta boxes with three horses, using two of mine and one of your own. And you can always pick up a copy of Acing Racing 2016 to learn everything you need to know. (These are the picks and format that are available on the free tip sheet at SHRP). We will be doing The Blitz from 4-7 at the track so please drop by.

FIRST
6-1-2-4
KADA is in sharp form but should be challenged by a talented entry.


SECOND
1-3-8-7
IMPRESSIVE REWARD has been close in Oklahoma and should break through


THIRD
9-7-2-5
ICED OUT should be in a good spot to clear this condition


FOURTH
8-1-7-2
RAILROAD ROSIE has won two in a row and should be in the mix


FIFTH
6-1-5-4
BANKROLL BEN is in a good spot and should offer some value

SIXTH
2-8-10-1
WAR ARGYLE has been knocking on the door and should break through here


SEVENTH

7-6-3-10

DECLARE WAR has a good record over this surface and is in good form


EIGHTH
5-6-8-4
GRADE ONE struggled in last but prior efforts were strong


NINTH
3-4-6-9
GRAY HOPE is in sharp form and should be competitive in tough group


TENTH
1-3-5-6
COUNTENANCE will be a short price but looks very good in this spot

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The Texans have reached the most challenging part of their schedule. Composite Getty Image.

Coming off their bye week, the Texans host the Dolphins with big playoff implications at stake. A win over Miami paired with a Colts loss secures another playoff berth for Houston.

Injuries will be a factor in this contest, with guard Juice Scruggs (foot) expected to be unavailable and safety Jalen Pitre now out for the year with a pectoral injury.

The Texans will also be without LB Azeez Al-Shaair (suspension), but a glimmer of hope has arrived as LB Christian Harris has returned to practice after missing the entire season up to this point.

Left guard Kenyon Green has also returned to practice and could be available this Sunday as well. If he's not, look for Zach Thomas, who was claimed off waivers from the Patriots about a month ago, to step in. Offensive line play and protection in general will be a main area of focus once again, as the Texans are arguably the worst in the NFL in this category.

As you can see from the graphic above, the Texans have blown a block or allowed a pressure on over 30% of their offensive plays, and the next closest team is the Bears at 25.4 %.

Speaking of blocking, the Texans face three of the best teams against the run down the stretch (Chiefs, Ravens, Titans). With that being the case, let's hope that Stroud and the Texans found some answers in the passing game during the bye week.

If the Texans can keep Stroud upright, perhaps we see a resurgence from Tank Dell, who has seemingly disappeared from the offense. Tank hasn't scored since October 13, and has only recorded one game with over 100 yards all season.

Swarm!

On defense, the Texans will have their hands full with the Dolphins explosive offense. Miami has scored 32 or more points in 3 of their last 4 games.

The Texans are averaging just under 24 PPG this season, so they could really use a breakout game from the offense to help cement a victory.

Houston has the best duo of pass rushers in the league, but they will be challenged against Tua Tagovailoa, who gets rid of the ball extremely quickly and accurately.

Tua also has two speedsters in Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle that can take a short pass to the house at any given moment. Speed could be the difference in this contest, but the Texans do have two corners in Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter that are both Top 3 in lowest catch rate allowed this year.

What does Vegas think?

The Texans are favored by 3 points and the total is set at 46.5, which is the third-highest this week.

Don't miss the video above as we break down this week's game, the final stretch of the season, and much more!

Also, be sure to watch Texans on Tap with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan live following every Texans game on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel!

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