Houston's defense was 14th in the NFL last year in yards allowed, sixth versus the run, 11th in points given up, sixth on third down, and piled up 46 sacks. The team signed 14 defensive free agents, including DEs Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry. and cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson. The Texans have gone four straight games UNDER in divisional play, including a 23-19 game versus the Colts. Indianapolis begins its second season with young QB Anthony Richardson. The defensive front is outstanding as the Colts were able to re-sign nose tackle Grover Stewart while tackle DeForest Buckner got a two-year extension. The run defense was 10th in the league last season in yards rushing per carry allowed (4.1), plus 11th on third down. NFL divisional underdogs are 37-15-1 ATS in Week 1, including a 17-4 ATS run. Take Indianapolis.
Previous Matchups & Picks
Lines & Odds
Public Consensus
Who was the public on? 61% of the public bets were on Houston Texans on the -3 ATS. And, 52% of the bets were on the game to go OVER the total.
Computer Predictions
My computer prediction for this game was that Indianapolis would win by a score of 24.4 to 23.1 with Indianapolis winning on the moneyline and on the spread and the game going UNDER the total.
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NFL
Houston at Indianapolis
1:00 PM Eastern
Final Score
NFL Premium Pick Results
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Lines & Odds
Public Consensus
Who was the public on? 57% of the public bets were on Houston Texans on the -1.5 ATS. And, 57% of the bets were on the game to go OVER the total.
Computer Predictions
My computer prediction for this game was that Houston would win by a score of 23.8 to 22.8 with Houston winning on the moneyline, Indianapolis winning on the spread and the game going UNDER the total.
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NFL
Houston at Indianapolis
8:15 PM Eastern
Houston can clinch the AFC South with a win or a Jacksonville loss or tie and they can earn a playoff berth with a win OR a tie plus a Jacksonville loss plus a Pittsburgh loss or tie. Indianapolis needs some help as it clinches the AFC South with a win plus a Jacksonville loss or tie or a tie plus a Jaguars loss. The Colts clinch a playoff berth with a win OR a tie plus a Pittsburgh loss or tie. The Texans have C.J. Stroud back from concussion protocol and he threw for 213 yards and a TD and Houston held Tennessee to only 187 yards of offense and beat the Titans 26-3 on Sunday. The Texans look to avenge a 31-20 loss in the first meeting and it went OVER by 10.5 points. The Colts have gone OVER five of their past six games overall and their past five home games. Indianapolis barely got by Las Vegas 23-20 and took advantage of several mental and physical mistakes by the Raiders. The previous week the Colts were manhandled 29-10 by Atlanta and they have split their past four games. Indianapolis is No. 27 in the NFL allowing 24.5 points per game. Houston is 6-2 ATS against teams with winning records and the Colts are 6-13 ATS versus AFC South opponents. Indianapolis is 9-2 OVER after allowing more than 350 yards of offense its previous game. Take the Texans and the OVER.
Final Score
Lines & Odds
Public Consensus
Who was the public on? 55% of the public bets were on Indianapolis Colts on the +1 ATS. And, 56% of the bets were on the game to go UNDER the total.
Computer Predictions
My computer prediction for this game was that Houston would win by a score of 20.5 to 19.2 with Houston winning on the moneyline and on the spread and the game going UNDER the total.
Final Score
Lines & Odds
Public Consensus
Who was the public on? 59% of the public bets were on Indianapolis Colts on the -3 ATS. And, 56% of the bets were on the game to go UNDER the total.
Computer Predictions
My computer prediction for this game was that Indianapolis would win by a score of 20.3 to 17.7 with Indianapolis winning on the moneyline, Houston winning on the spread and the game going OVER the total.
Final Score
Lines & Odds
Public Consensus
Who was the public on? 62% of the public bets were on Indianapolis Colts on the -7 ATS. And, 53% of the bets were on the game to go OVER the total.
Computer Predictions
My computer prediction for this game was that Indianapolis would win by a score of 26.5 to 18.7 with Indianapolis winning on the moneyline and on the spread and the game going UNDER the total.
Premium Picks
NFL
Indianapolis at Houston
1:00 PM Eastern
Indianapolis flopped in the finale last year, losing to the worst team in the league, Jacksonville, which stopped them from making the playoffs. So the worst owner in the NFL (Jim Irsay) went out and got 37-year-old QB Matt Ryan. And here they are a huge road favorite in Week 1. It's a run-oriented offense behind RB Jonathan Taylor, as Ryan has a relatively young group of wide receivers and tight ends to work with. There are also two new starters on the offensive line. The defense has a new coordinator in Gus Bradley on a unit that was #16 in yards surrendered, #18 on third down, and the eighth-worst in sacks. The Colts are 3-12-1 ATS in Week 1. Trading QB Deshaun Watson gave Houston a rebuilding boost with two of the Top 15 picks and two more second-round selections for head coach Lovie Smith. The West Coast ball-control offense uses power run-blocking schemes with multi-tight end packages and gets a big addition in guard Kenyon Green (15th overall pick) joining left tackle Laremy Tunsil. In the offseason, the front office made the priority upgrading the secondary, which they did. With far less talent, the Texans played hard at home last season with a 25-22 loss to the Patriots, a 37-21 win over Jacksonville, a 21-14 loss to the Jets, a 41-29 upset of the Chargers, and a 28-25 loss to Tennessee. Play Houston.
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