by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Jan 02, 2024
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET, Saturday, January 6, 2024
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Where to Watch: ESPN, ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Texans +1, Colts -1; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Texans +1, Colts -1; Over/Under: 47 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Texans +1, Colts -1; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Season Record
Houston Texans: 9-7 (3rd place, AFC South)
Indianapolis Colts: 9-7 (2nd place, AFC South)
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Houston Texans: won their last game at home against the Tennessee Titans 26-3.
Indianapolis Colts: won their last game at home against the Las Vegas Raiders 23-20.
Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts Preview and Analysis
The Texans are entering this game with a 9-7 record overall and they have a 3-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 6-3 in their home games, 3-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Tennessee Titans 26-3. CJ Stroud was the starting QB and he completed 24/32 passes for 213 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Devin Singletary led the team in rushing yards with 80. Nico Collins led the receivers with 80 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Derek Stingley Jr. led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Will Anderson Jr. led the defense in sacks with 2. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
The Colts are entering this game with a 9-7 record overall and they have a 3-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-4 in their home games, 4-3 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Las Vegas Raiders 23-20. Gardner Minshew was the starting QB and he completed 15/23 passes for 224 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Jonathan Taylor led the team in rushing yards with 96 and 1 TD. Alec Pierce led the receivers with 58 receiving yards on 1 reception and 1 TD. E. J. Speed led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while DeForest Buckner and Tyquan Lewis each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Texans vs Colts Prediction
The current betting odds have the Texans listed as a 1 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Texans have looked good in their games this season with their 9-7 record overall which has them in a position to make the playoffs this year. All they need to do is win this game and they are in the playoffs with the AFC Wild Card. Meanwhile, the Colts have also looked good this season in their first year with a new head coach and their 9-7 record overall which also has them right in the playoff conversation. The situation here is the same for the Colts too as they are in with the AFC Wild Card with a win in this game so both teams need to win this one badly. Neither team has really looked great in their games lately but both are coming off a win in this game. The Colts managed to scrape by the Raiders at home last week but they struggled to win that game at home and haven't been at their best the last few weeks either. The Texans have looked similar lately but they were also missing their starting QB for 2 games and looked a lot better last week in their win against the Titans with him back. The Texans look like the better team these last few weeks and CJ Stroud will be the key player that propels them into the playoffs with a win here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Texans to cover the spread in this game.
Texans Colts Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Saturday, January 6, 2024 (8:15 pm ET start time) is Texans 27 Colts 20.
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NFL Betting Trends
Houston Texans: 11-6 ATS versus division opponents. 31-19 ATS revenging a loss where the opponent scored 28 or more points. 4-1 ATS after a win by 10 or more points. 11-5 UNDER in a road game where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 11-6 UNDER versus division opponents. 14-3 UNDER after a win by 21 or more points.
Indianapolis Colts: 16-23 ATS as a home underdog of 3 points or less. 6-11 ATS versus division opponents. 20-13 UNDER in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 8-3 UNDER after gaining 6 or more yards/play in their previous game.
Key Injuries
Houston Texans: J. Greenard (DE) Ques Sat - Ankle. N. Brown (WR) Ques Sat - Hip. L. Tunsil (OT) Ques Sat - Groin. M. Collins (DT) Ques Sat - Hip. A. Beck (FB) Ques Sat - Calf. R. Woods (WR) Ques Sat - Hip. J. Ward (S) I-R - Quadricep. D. Horton (DE) Out indefinitely - Illness. T. Thomas (CB) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. T. Dell (WR) I-R - Leg. T. Howard (OT) I-R - Knee. G. Arnold (S) Out indefinitely - Calf. M. Stewart (S) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. H. Ridgeway (DT) Out indefinitely - Achilles. T. Quitoriano (TE) Out indefinitely - Groin. J. Patterson (C) Out indefinitely - Ankle. E. Murray (S) Out indefinitely - Knee. K. Green (C) I-R - Knee. K. Green (G) I-R - Shoulder. K. Zierer (OT) I-R - Ankle. T. Hairston (FB) I-R - Back. J. Matthews (WR) I-R - Knee. D. Scaife Jr. (OT) I-R - Leg. S. Quessenberry (C) I-R - Knee.
Indianapolis Colts: Z. Moss (RB) Ques Sat - Forearm. C. McGrone (LB) Ques Sat - Illness. K. Moore II (CB) Ques Sat - Back. J. Anderson (C) Ques Sat - Illness. J. Blackmon (S) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. T. Brown (CB) Out indefinitely - Suspension. I. McKenzie (WR) Out indefinitely - Suspension. J. Woods (TE) I-R - Hamstring. A. Richardson (QB) I-R - Shoulder. E. Hull (RB) I-R - Knee. D. Flowers (CB) I-R - Achilles. D. Pinter (G) I-R - Ankle. T. Leo (DE) I-R - Undisclosed. G. Avery (DE) I-R - Knee. A. Dulin (WR) I-R - Knee. J. Witt (OT) I-R - Hip. D. Scott (S) I-R - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“He raises everyone’s level of confidence because everyone knows the type of player that he is. He’s a big-time playmaker and he continues to show it week after week. We’re all excited to have C.J. back because he’s a really great player.” - DeMeco Ryans on CJ Stroud after his team’s win against the Titans in their last game.
“I don’t know if they responded to what I said, but they responded. I thought the practices this week were there, how we stepped up out there with the energy and a lot of effort, man. And I think everyone’s fired up for what we have in front of us.” - Gardner Minshew after their win against the Raiders in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Houston Texans
WR Collins, Nico
WR Brown, Noah
WR Woods, Robert
TE Schultz, Dalton
QB Stroud, C.J.
RB Singletary, Devin
FB Beck, Andrew
Indianapolis Colts
WR Pierce, Alec
WR Pittman Jr., Michael
WR Downs, Josh
TE Granson, Kylen
QB Minshew, Gardner
RB Taylor, Jonathan
Statistical Leaders
Houston Texans
Passing: C. Stroud (3844)
Rushing: D. Singletary (835)
Receiving: N. Collins (1102)
Touchdowns: T. Dell (7)
Indianapolis Colts
Passing: G. Minshew (3164)
Rushing: Z. Moss (764)
Receiving: M. Pittman Jr. (1108)
Touchdowns: Z. Moss (7)
Coaches:
Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans (1st season)
Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
