Subscribe
Follow Us
The Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts will face off in their second NFL Preseason game on Saturday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL preseason odds series, which includes our Lions-Colts prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Detroit is the subject of HBO's Hard Knocks series this preseason, a fan favorite series. Energetic head coach Dan Campbell seems to be a loveable and motivating coach, but the question comes down to what type of talent is on this roster. One year removed from going 3-13-1, how much of an improvement can really be expected of this group?
Indianapolis has cycled through quarterbacks since Peyton Manning and has settled on Matt Ryan for this upcoming season. Ryan comes with a first-round pedigree and led Atlanta to a Super Bowl appearance not too long ago. Coming off a 9-8 season, Indianapolis is in need of an injection of life.
Here are the Lions-Colts NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Lions-Colts Odds
Detroit Lions: -3 (-110)
Indianapolis Colts: +3 (-110)
Over: 38.5 (-110)
Under: 38.5 (-110)
Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
Jared Goff may not be the long-term solution at quarterback, but a team looking to rebuild could do much worse than having Goff piloting the offense. Goff started 14 games for the team last season, tossing 19 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. The team struggled to score, putting up just 19.1 points per game, the 25th rank in the league. Running backs Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift return after combining for over 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns. Leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is back as well, totaling 90 catches and 912 yards in 2021. Goff and St. Brown should be able to form a strong duo. Tight end T.J. Hockenson also provides a solid target across the middle for Goff. First-round pick Jameson Williams provides yet another target for Goff.
Defensively, Detroit clearly struggled last season. The team gave up the second most points per game in the 2021 season, surrendering 27.5 points per game to their opponents. So, the logical solution to their issue was to pick local product Aidan Hutchinson, who registered 14 sacks at Michigan last season. Hutchinson was an easy selection to the All-America team, and the second overall pick in the 2022 draft. Detroit ranked 29th in pressures and 30th in sacks last season, so the presence of Hutchinson is much needed. Detroit only intercepted 11 passes last season, and third-round pick Kerby Joseph should help in that category.
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
Indianapolis parted ways with Carson Wentz in the offseason, adding Matt Ryan to pilot the offense instead. Indianapolis scored 26.5 points per game, ninth best in the league last season. Ryan comes over after tossing 20 touchdowns for Atlanta, where he spent the first 14 seasons of his career. The cupboard is certainly not bare for Ryan, as arguably the best running back in the league, Jonathan Taylor, resides in the same backfield. Taylor rushed for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, both totals that led the league. Leading receiver Michael Pittman, Jr. is also back after racking up 1,082 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Indianapolis surrendered 21.5 points per game in 2022, the ninth-lowest total in the league. Three Colts players registered over 100 tackles, and all three returned for the 2022 season. Indianapolis picked off 19 passes last season and registered 33 sacks. Stephon Gilmore, a former rival with the Patriots, is now with Indianapolis, adding 27 career interceptions to the secondary.
Final Lions-Colts Prediction & Pick
Chalk this one up to experience.
Final Lions-Colts Prediction & Pick: Indianapolis -3 (-110), under 38.5 (-110)
