The Indianapolis Colts would like to think they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, although they tend to disappoint at the wrong times. They will line up on Thursday night with a chance to extend their lead in the AFC South when they take on the Tennessee Titans, in NFL betting action that is slated to get underway at 8:25 PM ET at LP Field in Nashville.
The division is weak, and that has certainly worked to the advantage of Chuck Pagano’s team. The Colts stand alone at 6-3, while the Titans, two games back, are in a certain level of transition; the Houston Texans are collapsing under the weight of a seven-game losing streak, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have one win (against Tennessee). All three of Indy’s AFC South competitors are using different quarterbacks than they started the season with. So the Colts have had some “Luck.” Okay, there we go again!
In the football betting lines that have been posted on this game at BetAnySports, Indianapolis is a road favorite:
Pro Football Betting Lines Courtesy Of BetAnySports USA Online Sportsbook
Indianapolis Colts -2.5 -115
Tennessee Titans +2.5 -105
Over 43 Points -110
Under 43 Points -110
When you look at what the Colts have accomplished, you will see a team that has scored wins over three of the prime Super Bowl hopefuls – the Denver Broncos (+365 to win it all at BetAnySports), Seattle Seahawks (+390) and San Francisco 49ers (+1250). That’s this team at its best.
At their worst the Colts were very flat in losing to the San Diego Chargers, which was perhaps understandable because they were looking ahead to a game against Denver; and last week at St. Louis, where there was no conceivable excuse, as they ran for 18 yards and lost 38-8 to the Rams. The plan on the part of offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who worked with him at Stanford, has never been for Andrew Luck to throw 47 times in a game, but that is exactly what he had to do, because the run game was missing. Trent Richardson has not been a workhorse, as he has gained just 2.8 yards a carry.
Football bettors might be surprised to see some of the metrics that are present in this game. The Colts (the -140 money line favorite to win at BetAnySports), with the 6-3 record, have actually been outgained on the season by almost 20 yards a game, while Tennessee is about even with its foes. The Titans have an edge over its opponents on third down, converting 42.1% of chances, while their opponents have made good on just 33.1%. The Colts are successful on just 38.6% of their third downs, and they allow 37.2%.
One thing the Colts won’t likely do as much as Tennessee is hurt themselves with penalties. In fact, Indianapolis has an absurdly low total of 33 infractions called against it (for 262 yards), while the Titans have been penalized 62 times for 530 yards. if it’s mistakes that make the difference here, that could provide a key edge for Indianapolis, although Luck needs to avoid throwing the ball into enemy hands like he did last week (three interceptions).
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