Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts went three full quarters before they finally put some points on the board last week in Buffalo. All of a sudden at 0-1, they might feel a bit of pressure to get this win in what all of a sudden looks like a tricky game against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.
PASS RUSH KEY TO LUCK PROPS
Luck routinely averages over seven yards per pass attempt, and last season, he threw 40 touchdowns against 16 picks to post a QB rating of 96.5. Clearly, last week wasn't his best effort. Luck threw for 243 yards and two TDs to go with two INTs. In a vacuum, that isn't the end of the world, but the fact that he was throwing the ball the whole game and ended up with 49 pass attempts was scary.
With T.Y. Hilton likely not playing in this game due to a knee problem, and that's going to put a lot of pressure on Luck to have time in the pocket. Time was what was really short for him against Buffalo, and if you think Todd Bowles isn't watching that tape closely this week, you're crazy.
New York's pass rush really was good against the Browns for most of last week, forcing Johnny Manziel to make a lot of decisions with the football that he would go on to regret. Luck won't make the same mistakes that Manziel did such as holding on for far too long and taking sacks which resulted in fumbles, but we tend to forget that Luck is still young and is maturing, and he forces throws that aren't there from time to time.
Not having Hilton is really going to hurt him, as the chemistry with Andre Johnson just isn't there yet, and Donte Moncrief, though talented, still doesn't strike us as a go-to type of receiver.
The prop figures you're likely looking at for Luck are going to be in the neck of the woods of 2.5 touchdown passes and 290 passing yards or so. Even though Antonio Cromartie isn't going to play in this game for the Jets, they still have a fantastic secondary and can match up well with all of Indianapolis' receivers. It's tough to see Luck getting there in this game with the way his offensive line and the offense as a whole played last week in Buffalo.
ALTERNATE SPREADS COULD BE GOLD FOR JETS
With a point spread like this, BookMaker is going to give you the option to bet on the Jets at +3.5 and even -3.5 at huge prices on both accounts. Considering the fact that the moneyline price on New York is set at +240 as of Wednesday evening, the price at +3.5 is likely going to be around +150, and the price at -3.5 is going to be around 5 to 1.
That might end up being a worthwhile price even though we have seen the spread in this game leap up from -6 to -7 where it sits now.
If the Jets are going to end up having as much success shutting down Luck as the Bills did, we know that the Indy running game isn't going to make up the difference in yardage. As a result, we could see a game similar to last week against the Browns where a turnover here or there could turn into easy points for a lackluster New York offense. From there, Chris Ivory and the ground game could really put a crimp in the Colts' plans of this being an easy victory.
Certainly don't discount the idea of laying points with the Jets on Monday night.
The NFL odds for this Monday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the Indianapolis Colts were positioned as 6-point favorites with a total of 46.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets will take place Monday, September 21, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.
