The argument could be made that the Indianapolis Colts are the luckiest 2-2 team in the league. They probably should have been beaten by both the Titans and the Jaguars the last two weeks, but they have continued to feast off of the brutal AFC South. History suggests that they should crush the Houston Texans on Thursday to help put this division to rest after a sluggish start to the season.
WHEN THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS HAVE THE BALL
When the report came out in the middle of last week that Andrew Luck was questionable with a hamstring injury, no one really believed there was any chance that he wouldn't play against the Jaguars. Instead, he ultimately didn't get the start, getting replaced by Matt Hasselbeck, and the point spread dropped dramatically to the point that the Colts were only favored by a tick over the value of home field advantage against what is perpetually one of the worst teams in the league.
Hasselbeck was, not surprisingly, uninspiring. He went 30-of-47 for 282 yards and a touchdown, helping make up for a ground game which was drab.
The Texans have had no luck stopping the run this year, and with J.J. Watt constantly getting double- and triple-teamed, no one else along this front seven has been able to step up and pressure the quarterback.
That could mean good news for Frank Gore, who has been awfully quiet since his move to Indy.
Of course, the Colts do have an abysmal offensive line, and that might give Watt the opportunity to have a field day.
It should also be noted that this game marks the return of Andre Johnson to Houston. Johnson only has seven catches for 51 yards this year for the Colts, but T.Y. Hilton has had a history of burning this team. In his six games versus Houston, Hilton has 661 yards and six TDs, including posting 223 yards in this game last year in Week 6, also on a Thursday night.
WHEN THE HOUSTON TEXANS HAVE THE BALL
Of course, live bettors have just as much question regarding Houston's offense right now. In Week 1, Brian Hoyer was terrible for two and a half quarters and replaced by Ryan Mallett, who led the team to a few meaningless touchdown drives. In Week 4, Mallett was terrible for two and a half quarters and replaced by Hoyer, who led the team to a few meaningless touchdown drives.
Hoyer lost his job to Mallett as the starter after getting yanked. Will he now get the chance to supplant Mallett? We'll find out as the week progresses.
The one constant that live bettors should love is the fact that Arian Foster is probably ready for a relatively heavy workload. He was held to just eight carries for 10 yards and three catches for 25 yards in his return from a groin injury, but he should see a lot more action in this one, getting out of the timeshare situation with Alfred Blue and Chris Polk.
The Texans are 21-11 SU and 20-10-2 ATS when Foster rushes for 100 yards in a game, and live bettors can't miss out if he does that against Indy on Thursday.
TREND TO TRACK
The Colts have won 15 straight games in division, tying the best such mark in franchise history. They've had particular success against these Texans, going 5-0 SU and 4-0-1 ATS in the last five games in this series. Houston's wins against the Colts have all come here at NRG Stadium though, so at least that's a bit of good news for Texans fans. Up in Indianapolis, the team still has yet to win a game in its history.
The NFL betting lines and props for this Thursday game will be first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
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 duel between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans will go down Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 8:30 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium. The game will be televised live on CBS and the NFL Network.
