The NFL Preseason continues on Saturday as the Indianapolis Colts face the Buffalo Bills. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a preseason Colts-Bills prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
2022 did not go well for the Colts. After a 3-5-1 start, they fired head coach Frank Reich and brought in Jeff Saturday as the interim. He went 1-7 and the Colts finished with a 4-12-1 record on the year. That netted them a third-place finish in the division and the fourth overall pick in the draft. Out are Jeff Saturday and Matt Ryan. In are Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson. Still, there is not a lot of hope for the Colts. They are third in the preseason odds to win the division at +550. The win total for the season sits at 6.5 games, with a slight favor to the over, but that is partially due to a weak division. Their odds to make the playoffs are the third worst in the AFC, sitting just in front of the Raiders and the Texans in the conference.
Meanwhile, the Bills finished last year as the number two seed. It was a 13-3 finish for the Bills, as they missed a game with the cancelation of their game with the Bengals due to the Demar Hamlin cardiac arrest incident. While the Bills lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, there is hope for this year. They still have Josh Allen and Stephon Diggs on offense. Damar Hamlin has returned to the field as well.
Here are the Colts-Bills Preseason NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Colts-Bills Odds
Indianapolis Colts: -4.5 (-105)
Buffalo Bills: +4.5 (-115)
Over: 38.5 (-105)
Under: 38.5 (-115)
How to Watch Colts vs. Bills
TV: WIVB/WXIN
Stream: NFL+/ fuboTV
Time: 1:00 PM ET/ 10:00 AM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
While the Colts will be without All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor, they are set to start Anthony Richardson against the Bills on Saturday. He is expected to be the starting quarterback of the future for the Colts, although he will need to prove himself in this one. An electric quarterback out of Florida, Richardson has the tools to be a quality quarterback at the next level. At Florida, he threw for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns, plus he added to the offense with his legs. He ran for 654 yards and nine more touchdowns, giving the Colts' offense a dual-threat quarterback they have not had in a long time.
Still, he is in a battle with Garner Minshew for the job. If he struggles in this game, it could open the door for Minshew to take the job. Richardson has consistently stepped up in big moments in his career, and this is another big one for him.
The Colts have recently met with Kareen Hunt about coming in as a running back, but there are still guys who will look to show that they deserve the shot to be the top guys behind Jonathan Taylor. Former third-round pick Zach Moss is one of those. Last year with the Colts he ran for 365 yards and a touchdown, but he could be limited in this game. Deon Jackson returns as well, with 236 yards last year, but he missed practice this week with an undisclosed injury. The rookie Evan Hull could get plenty of carries. After being drafted in the fifth round out of Northwestern, he is trying to prove he belongs on an NFL roster.
On defense, the Colts will look for improvement from last year. They should give some time to Shaquille Leonard, who missed most of the year last year with an injury. The Colt's defense was tied with the Lions in third to last in the NFL in points allowed per game. the Colts hope that will be partially addressed with Julius Brents. Brent's is a large corner but still had great quickness. He is physical and can press receivers, which is perfect for Gus Bradley's defense. They also added Adetomiwa Adebawaore. He is expected to be a major player in the pass rush and will be looking to make his presence felt in this game.
Why The Bills Could Cover The Spread
The Bills will not be playing Josh Allen in this one. That means Matt Barkley and Kyle Allen will be taking the reps in this one. While Barkley has been solid as the backup for Josh Allen in his time with the Bills, the team will want to see what they have in Kyle Allen. He has been a starter in his NFL career, but still, he is a journeyman quarterback with something to prove.
He could be throwing to the rookie Dalton Kincaid. The tight end has looked solid in training camp, and will be looking to become another weapon in the Bills offense. Buffalo traded up in the first round to snag him and wants to show that he can be a reliable target this year for the Bills. The bills also added Latavius Murray in the offeason. While James Cook is the starter, Damies Harris, Latavius Murray, Darrynton Evans, and Jordan Mims are all looking to be the primary backup. Last year in Denver, Murray ran for 703 yards and has shown to be a reliable back in his career. Meanwhile, Evans is on his fourth NFL team. He backed up Derrick Henry in Tennessee where he got the most action of his career. Still, he has not lived up to his potential as an NFL back.
Mims was signed as an undrafted free agent but played well in his time at Fresno State. He will be a long shot to make the roster, but with his speed and athletic ability, he could impress in this game. Meanwhile, rookies are going to play a major part in this game. Second-round pick O'Cyrus Torrence is going out to prove he should have gone earlier while Justin Shorter has the same chip on his shoulder. He comes in as a fifth-round pick out of Florida. This game could go a long way in building trust with the coaching staff in Buffalo. A big game will get him more looks. If he does not perform and has too many drops, it could be bench duty for Shorter.
Final Colts-Bills Prediction & Pick
There are two different mindsets heading into this game for the two teams. The Colts want to know what they have for this year. They want to see what new pieces do to make sure they are not drafting in the top five again. Meanwhile, the Bills are looking at depth. They want to know who they have in case one of their starters goes down. The Bills will not be pushing for a win inthis one. Their focus is getting over the hurdle in the playoffs and making a post-season run. The Colts have guys just trying to make the roster and prove they belong. With that, take the Colts in this one.
Final Colts-Bills Prediction & Pick: Colts -4.5 (-105)