by Rod Pearson
Saturday, Dec 30, 2023
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, December 31, 2023
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Raiders +3.5, Colts -3.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Raiders +3.5, Colts -3.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Raiders +3.5, Colts -3.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Season Record
Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8 (2nd place, AFC West)
Indianapolis Colts: 8-7 (2nd place, AFC South)
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Las Vegas Raiders: won their last game on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs 20-14.
Indianapolis Colts: lost their last game on the road against the Atlanta Falcons 29-10.
Las Vegas Raiders vs Indianapolis Colts Preview and Analysis
The Raiders are entering this game with a 7-8 record overall and they have a 3-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 5-3 in their home games, 2-5 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 Kansas City Chiefs 20-14. Aidan O'Connell was the starting QB and he completed 9/21 passes for 62 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Zamir White led the team in rushing yards with 145. Jakobi Meyers led the receivers with 42 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Nate Hobbs and Robert Spillane each led the defense in that game with 9 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Malcolm Koonce led the defense in sacks with 3. Jack Jones came away with the only interception for them in that game.
The Colts are entering this game with an 8-7 record overall and they have a 3-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 3-4 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 lost their last game against the Atlanta Falcons 29-10. Gardner Minshew was the starting QB and he completed 20/37 passes for 201 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Jonathan Taylor led the team in rushing yards with 43 and 1 TD. Kylen Granson led the receivers with 62 receiving yards on 5 receptions. E. J. Speed led the defense in that game with 10 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Kwity Paye led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Raiders vs Colts Prediction
The current betting odds have the Raiders listed as a 3.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Raiders haven't looked great in their games this season with their 7-8 record overall but they have looked a lot better over the last few weeks since firing Josh McDaniels. They have a lot of momentum from their win against the Chiefs last week and they are going to be motivated here since they still have a chance to make the playoffs in a Wild Card and win the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Colts have looked good this season with their 8-7 record overall as they are also fighting for an AFC Wild Card spot and are alive for the AFC South still, but they haven't looked as good in their games lately either. They have been through a rough stretch over the last few weeks and they have even been worse in their home games this season compared to being on the road. The Raiders are playing with a lot of belief right now and a lot of that has to do with their interim head coach while the Colts have been a really good team all season but they are falling apart at the worst time now. The Raiders have the momentum here and they are live to win this game outright. The best way to place a bet here is on the Raiders to cover the spread in this game.
Raiders Colts Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, December 31, 2023 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Raiders 21 Colts 17.
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NFL Betting Trends
Las Vegas Raiders: 0-8 ATS off a huge upset win as a double digit underdog. 5-11 ATS after 2 consecutive games with a turnover margin of +2 or better. 31-20 OVER off of 2 straight division games. 5-1 OVER off an upset win as a road underdog of 10 or more.
Indianapolis Colts: 14-7 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread. 8-2 ATS after a loss by 10 or more points. 10-5 OVER in all games. 6-1 OVER in home games. 8-2 OVER after a loss by 10 or more points.
Key Injuries
Las Vegas Raiders: D. Turner (WR) Prob Sun - Shoulder. K. Miller (OT) Prob Sun - Shoulder. M. Koonce (DE) Prob Sun - Ribs. M. Crosby (DE) Prob Sun - Knee. J. Jacobs (RB) Doub Sun - Knee. M. Mayer (TE) Out Sun - Toe. J. Bobenmoyer (LS) Prob Sun - Knee. A. James (C) Ques Sun - Ankle. J. Eluemunor (G) Ques Sun - Knee. J. Horsted (TE) I-R - Hamstring. K. Mauga (LB) Out indefinitely - Knee. D. Wagner (OT) I-R - Undisclosed. B. Brown (RB) I-R - Undisclosed. A. Walter (RB) I-R - Undisclosed.
Indianapolis Colts: K. Moore II (CB) Ques Sun - Back. S. Olubi (LB) Prob Sun - Hip. Z. Moss (RB) Out Sun - Forearm. A. Speed (CB) Prob Sun - Knee. B. Smith (T) Prob Sun - Knee. J. Anderson (C) Prob Sun - Illness. D. Montgomery (WR) Ques Sun - Groin. C. McGrone (LB) Ques Sun - Illness. J. Blackmon (S) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. M. Pittman Jr. (WR) Ques Sun - 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 (T) I-R - Hip. D. Scott (S) I-R - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“That was one of our mantras, by any means necessary." - Antonio Pierce after his team’s win against the Chiefs in their last game.
“He did a good job with some movements in the pocket to create some space. That’s what he does. Obviously you want to create that pressure on the quarterback and get those sacks and get those takeaways. Credit to Atlanta.” - Shane Steichen on Taylor Heinicke after his team’s loss against the Falcons in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Las Vegas Raiders
WR Adams, Davante
WR Meyers, Jakobi
WR Renfrow, Hunter
TE Mayer, Michael
QB O'Connell, Aidan
RB Jacobs, Josh
FB Johnson, Jakob
Indianapolis Colts
WR Pierce, Alec
WR Pittman Jr., Michael
WR Downs, Josh
TE Granson, Kylen
QB Minshew, Gardner
RB Taylor, Jonathan
Statistical Leaders
Las Vegas Raiders
Passing: A. O'Connell (1675)
Rushing: J. Jacobs (805)
Receiving: D. Adams (972)
Touchdowns: J. Meyers (8)
Indianapolis Colts
Passing: G. Minshew (2940)
Rushing: Z. Moss (764)
Receiving: M. Pittman Jr. (1062)
Touchdowns: Z. Moss (7)
Coaches:
Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Interim)
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.
