The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL over the last month or so, with one impressive win after another. The Colts will now put their five-game winning streak on the line this Sunday as they face perhaps the most inconsistent team in the league, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Heinz Field.
The Dallas Cowboys’ NFL-best six-game run is also on the line this week when they host the Washington Redskins in Jerry World. Check out our Cowboys vs. Redskins preview right after helping yourself to our in-depth preview of the Colts vs. Steelers.
[sc:Football ]Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When: Sunday, October 26, 4:25 PM ET
Line: Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (+3); total 48.5 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Indianapolis Colts
There’s no team in the AFC hotter right now than the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck and co. have won five games in a row (and have covered on all five as well) after a truly dominant 27-0 shutout win over the dangerous Cincinnati Bengals.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Luck, the league’s most prolific passer this season (326.7 yards per game and 19 touchdowns) had his customary numbers with 344 yards and two touchdowns, but the Colts are slowly becoming a more well-rounded team with the improvements in their running game and more importantly, their defense.
The Colts rushed for a season-high 171 yards against Cincinnati, their third 120-plus yard rushing effort in the last five games. Meanwhile, the defense completely shut down the Bengals offense, holding them scoreless and allowing a measly 135 total yards on offense.
Despite missing top pass rusher Robert Mathis, who’s out for the year with a torn Achilles, the Colts have recorded 20 sacks over the course of their five-game winning streak. Applying that same pressure on Ben Roethlisberger will be vital to disrupt the Steelers’ potentially explosive passing attack. The Steelers haven’t been so great at protecting their quarterback this season either, as evidenced by their lowly 27th rank in adjusted sack rate.
On offense, Luck has proven to be close to unstoppable so far this year; he’s thrown for over 300 yards in all but one game. He’ll square off with a Steelers secondary susceptible to big plays, as safeties Mike Mitchell and Troy Polamalu are suspect in coverage. The Colts should also be able to keep moving the ball on the ground against a Steelers defense that has given up 130-plus rushing yards in consecutive weeks.
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
A quick 24-point burst within three minutes at the end of the first half was just about all the points the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to take down the Houston Texans, 30-23, on Monday Night Football. The Steelers capitalized on successive Texans turnovers as they threw three touchdown passes: two from Roethlisberger and one from wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Monday night’s game against the Texans summed up the 2014-15 Steelers quite well: the defense will give up points, but the offense is explosive enough to claw any deficit back. It’s a recipe for maddening inconsistency, as their 4-3 record with alternating wins and losses illustrates.
For the most part, though, their three offensive stars – Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown – have been consistently good throughout the season. Roethlisberger’s 65 percent completion rate is his best since 2009, Bell is second in the league in yards from scrimmage and Brown is second in receiving yards per game.
But the defense has been most un-Steeler-like. Former head coach Bill Cowher went so far as to call the defense “soft” prior to Monday night. To Pittsburgh’s credit, it responded well with some timely plays to help get the big win. Their three forced turnovers against the Texans were a season-high.
The Steelers will need another solid play-making performance out of its defense against a Colts team that has already committed 11 giveaways (seven interceptions and four fumbles lost) this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Luck and the Colts come up with another complete performance to cover and win in Pittsburgh. Create a betting account now and ride the NFL’s best quarterbacks to more winnings.
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