An intriguing Sunday showdown in the NFL is guaranteed to fully satisfy your football cravings, as Andrew Luck and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts (0-2) will look to finally notch their first victory of the 2015 season when they travel to Nashville to take on their division rivals, Tennessee Titans (1-1), at Nissan Stadium.
Can the Colts succeed in doing so? Read on for a closer look at this bout. And for more Week 3 game previews, you can click here for Falcons vs. Cowboys and here for 49ers vs. Cardinals. Enjoy.
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Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
When: Sunday, September 27, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Indianapolis Colts (-3.5) at Tennessee Titans (+3.5); total: 45.0 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Indianapolis Colts
Even before the new season began, the Indianapolis Colts were already hailed as Super Bowl contenders especially with (arguably) the best quarterback in the NFL, Andrew Luck, leading the way for them. But it hasn’t been that easy for the Colts, who are now 0-2 for the second-straight year after losing at home to the Jets, 20-7, last Monday night.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Colts were to blame for their downfall, as they kept shooting their own foot by committing five turnovers and committing 11 penalties. Their supposedly fearsome offense only managed to rack up seven points by the end of the game. And making things worse, the loss proved much more costly with the pair of CB Vontae Davis and TE Dwayne Allen going down with injuries and did not return at all.
If the Colts hope to put an end to their losing woes, they’ll need to start taking care of the ball and collectively perform at a better level of efficiency in both ends of the field when they go on the road opposite their division rivals, the Tennessee Titans, this coming Sunday.
All eyes are definitely going to be on Luck, who was 21-of-37 for 250 yards with a touchdown, three picks and one lost fumble, to relocate their formidable passing game that averaged a league-best 305.9 yards per contest back in 2014. Helping him in doing so are wideouts in Donte Moncrief and T.Y Hilton.
Moncrief was one of few bright spots in the Colt’s loss to the Jets, as he caught seven passes for 122 yards and their only touchdown of the entire match. Hilton, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from a quiet four-catch, 45-yard game against the Jets as he was hampered by a bruise knee.
However, it’ll be easier said than done for the Colts to break through the Titans’ secondary that’s allowing just 169.5 passing yards through two games, the third-lowest in the NFL right now. It’s certainly going to be interesting how Luck and his receiving corps will perform against this defense.
Indianapolis is 7-3 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in its past 10 games as the favorites.
After dazzling fans with a perfect quarterback rating and a dominant win in his professional debut opposite the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Marcus Mariota and the rest of the Tennessee Titans were sent back down earth in Week 2.
The Cleveland Browns were the main reason for this, beating the Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium with the final score of 28-14. Johnny Manziel, who played in just his third career start, silenced all his critics (for now) with a vintage performance to lead his team. He just completed 8-of-15 passes for 172 yards but had two touchdowns, the last of which he connected with wide receiver, Travis Benjamin, for the game-sealing 50-yard score.
Despite this loss for Tennessee, Mariota was still quite solid in his second career game. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner converted 21-of-37 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns that made things a little interesting in the second half. He was sacked seven times and had three fumbles, however.
Heading towards to Week 3, Mariota and the Titans are going to have an even more challenging opponent in the form of their division rivals and the defending AFC South champions, the Indianapolis Colts.
That being said, the Titans’ ground game, which is seventh-best (4.7 yards per carry) in the league right now, will be key to their success as the Colts defense has yet to find the answer in defending against the rush. Indy has allowed more than a 100 yards in each of its first two games this season.
Unfortunately for the Titans, they’re going to have to cope without their starting right tackle in Chance Warmack, who will be out due to sprained right knee.
Tennessee is winless straight up and 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
Colts (-3.5) finally get a win this season, 30-10.
