by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Oct 17, 2023
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, October 22, 2023
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Browns -2, Colts +2; Over/Under: 39 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Browns -2, Colts +2; Over/Under: 39 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Browns -2.5, Colts +2.5; Over/Under: 39 points
Season Record
Cleveland Browns: 3-2 (3rd place, AFC North)
Indianapolis Colts: 3-3 (2nd place, AFC South)
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Cleveland Browns: won their last game at home against the San Francisco 49ers 19-17.
Indianapolis Colts: lost their last game on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars 37-20.
Cleveland Browns vs Indianapolis Colts Preview and Analysis
The Browns are entering this game with a 3-2 record overall and they have a 1-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 3-1 in their home games, 0-1 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 San Francisco 49ers 19-17. Phillip Walker was the starting QB and he completed 18/34 passes for 192 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Jerome Ford led the team in rushing yards with 84. Amari Cooper led the receivers with 108 receiving yards on 4 receptions. Rodney McLeod Jr. led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Sione Takitaki each led the defense in sacks with 1. Martin Emerson Jr. came away with the only interception for them in that game.
The Colts are entering this game with a 3-3 record overall and they have a 2-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 1-2 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against the Jacksonville Jaguars 37-20. Gardner Minshew was the starting QB and he completed 33/55 passes for 329 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Zack Moss led the team in rushing yards with 21 and 1 TD. Michael Pittman Jr. led the receivers with 109 receiving yards on 9 receptions. Zaire Franklin led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Samson Ebukam, DeForest Buckner, and Tyquan Lewis each led the defense in sacks with 1. Julius Brents came away with the only interception for them in that game.
Browns vs Colts Prediction
The current betting odds have the Colts listed as a 2 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Colts are coming off a bad loss on the road against the Jaguars but now they are at home and their offense hasn't been the problem in their games. Whether they have Richardson or Minshew starting they have been a competitive team and they are going to put points up at home in this game. The Browns are coming off a huge win at home against the 49ers in their last game but they haven't been that great this season with their 3-2 record overall. The Browns have a really good defense but they have struggled a lot on offense with an injured QB and an offense that is struggling to put up points. They only put up 19 points in their win against the 49ers in a game they barely won and now they have to go on the road in a tougher environment. The Browns are due for a let down here after that big win and the Colts will bounce back in this game with a home win. The best way to place a bet here is on the Colts to cover the spread in this game.
Browns Colts Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, October 22, 2023 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Colts 20 Browns 13.
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NFL Betting Trends
Cleveland Browns: 6-11 ATS as a favorite. 4-13 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread. 6-1 UNDER after a 2 game home stand. 9-2 UNDER off a home win. 21-12 UNDER in dome games.
Indianapolis Colts: 9-4 ATS off a division game. 4-0 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse. 31-20 UNDER in a home game where the total is between 38.5 and 42 points. 32-20 UNDER off a road blowout loss by 14 points or more.
Key Injuries
Cleveland Browns: S. Ika (DT) day-to-day - Foot. D. Watson (QB) day-to-day - Shoulder. E. Pocic (C) day-to-day - Chest. C. Tillman (WR) day-to-day - Hip. J. Bitonio (G) day-to-day - Knee. N. Chubb (RB) I-R - Knee. J. Conklin (OT) I-R - Knee. J. Kunaszyk (LB) Out indefinitely - Knee. M. Woods II (WR) Out indefinitely - Achilles. D. Forbes (G) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. J. Grant Sr. (WR) I-R - Knee. J. Phillips (LB) I-R - Pectoral. D. Deaton (G) I-R - Knee. T. Graham Jr. (CB) I-R - Ankle.
Indianapolis Colts: K. Granson (TE) day-to-day - Concussion. B. Smith (OT) day-to-day - Foot. R. Kelly (C) day-to-day - Foot. A. Pierce (WR) day-to-day - Shoulder. E. Hull (RB) I-R - Knee. A. Richardson (QB) Mid Dec - Shoulder. D. Flowers (CB) I-R - Achilles. J. Woods (TE) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. 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
“The truth is, we’re a good football team. We’re not perfect, we know that. But we fought like crazy, and I’m just proud of so many guys.” - Kevin Stefanski after his team’s win against the 49ers in their last game.
“We got ourselves in a hole there with the turnovers. We got to do better there. It starts with myself, doing a better job there. ... I’ve got to be better.” - Shane Steichen after his team’s loss against the Jaguars in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Cleveland Browns
WR Cooper, Amari
WR Peoples-Jones, Donovan
WR Moore, Elijah
TE Njoku, David
QB Watson, Deshaun
RB Ford, Jerome
Indianapolis Colts
WR Pierce, Alec
WR Pittman Jr., Michael
WR Downs, Josh
TE Granson, Kylen
QB Minshew, Gardner
RB Taylor, Jonathan
Statistical Leaders
Cleveland Browns
Passing: D. Watson (678)
Rushing: J. Ford (270)
Receiving: A. Cooper (367)
Touchdowns: J. Ford (3)
Indianapolis Colts
Passing: G. Minshew (882)
Rushing: Z. Moss (466)
Receiving: M. Pittman Jr. (406)
Touchdowns: Z. Moss (5)
Coaches:
Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski (4th 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.
