The Houston Texans have been unstoppable of late. They own the longest win streak in the league right now, which they intend to extend beyond this weekend, when they take on the Indianapolis Colts at home. The Texans, who could clinch a the AFC South crown this Week 14, are +1,800 to win Super Bowl 53, while the Colts are +15,000 to do it.
Before their shutout 6-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road last Sunday, the Colts were on a five-game win streak in which they averaged 34.7 points. That’s largely because of the fantastic job of their pass protection, which allowed just a sack over that span. Against the Jaguars, Andrew Luck was taken down three times for a loss of 24 yards. The Colts’ offense will go as far as where Luck takes them, so every time their quarterback kisses the dirt, dirt is also what they’re going to get. This is why the Colts need more than duct tape solution for their recently dinged offensive line heading into a rematch with Houston. The Colts lost to the Texans in Week 4 at home, 37-34, despite Luck throwing for 464 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions in part because he was sacked four times for a loss of 27 yards. The Texans, however, can’t be too fixated on Luck, as the Colts have top running back Marlon Mack, who wasn’t around in Week 4 due to injury.
The Colts are 2-1 ATS in their last three games against Houston.
Betting on the Houston Texans (9-3)
Who’s stopping the Texans? They have now won nine-straight games after trouncing the Cleveland Browns at home last Sunday, 29-13. The vaunted Texans’ defense lived up to its brand, as they picked Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield three times and held Cleveland’s backfield to a pathetic total of 31 rushing yards. In the first half, the Texans gave up just 74 total yards to Cleveland, which has solid talent on offense, who just couldn’t crack through the Texans’ stop unit. After seeing how the Jags were able to stifle the Colts by waltzing into the Indianapolis’s pocket, the Texans must feel very confident of doing the same. After all, they have the pair of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney raring to cause quarterback carnage on the field. Watt leads the Texans with 11.5 sacks, while Clowney is behind him with 7.0.
That said, the Texans need to tighten their own offensive line, as they were given a dose of their own medicine in Week 4 by the Colts, who sacked Deshaun Watson seven times for a loss of 42 yards.
