Week 2 of the NFL has arrived in the blink of an eye! An AFC South showdown between a pair of rookie quarterbacks will take place on Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts take on the Houston Texans. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Colts-Texans prediction and pick.
For a brief instance, it appeared that the Indianapolis Colts would shock the defending AFC South champs and at one point led 21-17 late in the third, but the Colts ran out of steam when it mattered most and eventually fell in defeat. Still, it was an impressive first-game showing for Indianapolis under rookie QB Anthony Richardson and they will seek their first victory of 2023 versus a familiar rival in the Texans.
In the meantime, the Texans looked like a team in the middle of a rebuild as they fell to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 25-9, but don't be sleeping on Houston ahead of this pivotal early-season matchup. After a miserable 3-13 2022 campaign, can the Texans show improvement in only the second week of the season against a heated rival?
Here are the Colts-Texans NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Colts-Texans Odds
Indianapolis Colts: +1 (-110)
Houston Texans: -1 (-110)
Over: 39.5 (-105)
Under: 39.5 (-115)
How to Watch Colts vs. Texans Week 2
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Time: 1:00 ET/10:00 PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
Like all rookie quarterbacks, there is a learning curve for first-year pros under center. Even with athletic specimens like Anthony Richardson, this rule of thumb still applies.
Nevertheless, the Colts have to be feeling pretty good about themselves after Richardson completed 24 of his 37b passing attempts and even rushed for 40 yards on 10 attempts. Clearly, his dual-threat abilities were arguably on full display, but he did happen to take a big hit near the final moments of last Sunday's game which resulted in a bout of knee and ankle soreness, Still, “AR15” as he is popularly coined was a full participant in practice and could be a big reason why the Colts cover the spread.
All in all, Indianapolis also needs to make sure that they capitalize more often in the red zone. While the Colts were able to move the football fairly well all day long, it was Indy that went only 1-3 when entering the Jaguars' 20-yard-line or beyond in red-zone opportunities. This needs to change in a big way to maximize on their points scored or else covering the spread may be a long shot.
Why The Texans Could Cover The Spread
Many bettors and critics are already writing the Texans off in this one, but not so fast my friend. Playing in front of their home fans for the first time this year, there's no doubt that Houston will be jacked up that football has finally returned to the “Space City”.
First things first, there is some slight concern surrounding CJ Stroud's availability as he is dealing with a shoulder injury that he suffered during the game and practiced in a limited capacity all week. Obviously, Stroud gives the Texans the best chance to win, but if he can't suit up, then the run game may need to come alive regardless of who's under center. In Week 1, the Texans led by star halfback Dameon Pierce totaled only 72 yards on the ground and averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Clearly, a more efficient ground game attack needs to be the main focal point to take the load off of CJ Stroud or even backup Davis Mills if he gets the chance to start in this one.
Encouragingly enough, the Texans' defense hung tough when they needed to the most, and they even forced two turnovers against the high-octane Ravens offense. If the Texans are going to cover the spread in front of their home fans, bending but not breaking defensively may be the recipe for success.
Final Colts-Texans Prediction & Pick
In a week where plenty of rivals within the NFL are facing off, the Colts and Texans rivalry is no different! For those willing to make a bet on this one, side with the Colts' ability to make the right plays in critical moments in what should come down to the wire!
Final Colts-Texans Prediction & Pick: Colts +1 (-110)