One of the trends in NFL statistical analysis is to use the NFL season betting lines as a building block to create performance models. 538’s ELO ratings does exactly this. It’s a nonbiased meta analysis used to predict the future.
This summer I stumbled upon Sportsbook Scout, a website filled with tools, guides, calculators, and models for betting purposes, along with NFL analysis. Most of the analysis this summer has been based on using NFL lines, strength of schedule, and a simple rating system to rank teams and evaluate their offseason performance.
In the case of the Houston Texans, Sportsbook Scout found that the Texans odds moved them from 13th to 19th after the offseason, and they now currently rank 20th in a set of Power Rankings based on point spreads for each game this season.