Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans Prediction, Preview and Odds - 09/17/2023

by Rod Pearson

Monday, Sep 11, 2023
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, September 17, 2023
Venue:  NRG Stadium, Houston, TX 
Where to Watch:  FOX


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Colts +1, Texans -1; Over/Under:  40 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Colts +1.5, Texans -1.5; Over/Under:  40.5 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Colts +1.5, Texans -1.5; Over/Under:  40.5 points

Season Record

Indianapolis Colts:  0-1 (4th place, AFC South)
Houston Texans:  0-1 (3rd place, AFC South)

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Indianapolis Colts:  lost their last game at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-21.
Houston Texans:  lost their last game on the road against the Baltimore Ravens 25-9.


Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans Preview and Analysis


The Colts are entering this game with a 0-1 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their divisional games too.  They are 0-1 in their home games, 0-0 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 lost their last game against the Jaguars 31-21. Anthony Richardson was the starting QB and he completed 24/37 passes for 223 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Anthony Richardson led the team in rushing yards with 40 and 1 TD. Michael Pittman Jr. led the receivers with 97 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 1 TD. Zaire Franklin led the defense in that game with 10 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles while DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye each led the defense in sacks with 1. Tony Brown came away with the only interception for them in that game.
 
 
 
The Texans are entering this game with a 0-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their divisional games too.  They are 0-0 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 at home for this game. They lost their last game against the Ravens 25-9. CJ Stroud was the starting QB and he completed 28/44 passes for 242 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Dameon Pierce led the team in rushing yards with 38. Nico Collins led the receivers with 80 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Denzel Perryman led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 5 assisted tackles while Christian Harris, Will Anderson Jr., and Jonathan Greenard each led the defense in sacks with 1. Steven Nelson came away with the only interception for them in that game.


Colts vs Texans Prediction

The current betting odds have the Colts listed as a 1 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Colts lost their season opener at home against the Jags in a divisional game but now they have another divisional game here and will be looking to bounce back. The Colts didn't look bad in that loss with their offense scoring 21 points and Richardson keeping his team right in that game. Meanwhile, the Texans also lost their season opener on the road but they didn't look good at all in their 25-9 loss against the Ravens. Their offense got nothing going in that game with only 3 field goals and even though their defense kept them in the game in the 1st half, they fell apart in the 2nd half letting the Ravens pull away. The Texans may be at home for this game but the Colts looked a lot better in week 1 and they have more talent around their rookie QB than the Texans do which will be the difference in this game as the Colts will score touchdowns here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Colts to cover the spread in this game. 

Colts Texans Prediction:  Our NFL Pick for Sunday, September 17, 2023 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Colts 21 Texans 13.
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NFL Betting Trends


Indianapolis Colts: 3-10 ATS versus division opponents. 4-1 ATS in the first two weeks of the season. 9-4 UNDER versus division opponents. 8-3 UNDER in games played on a grass field. 

Houston Texans: 8-4 ATS versus division opponents. 21-14 ATS after scoring 9 points or less last game. 8-4 UNDER versus division opponents. 21-15 UNDER after scoring 9 points or less last game.

Key Injuries


Indianapolis Colts:  Z. Moss (RB) day-to-day - Arm. E. Hull (RB) day-to-day - Knee. J. Woods (TE) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. D. Pinter (G) I-R - Ankle. T. Leo (DE) I-R - Undisclosed. J. Taylor (RB) Out indefinitely - Ankle. G. Avery (DE) I-R - Knee. A. Dulin (WR) I-R - Knee. J. Witt (OT) I-R - Hip. C. Lammons (DB) Elig Week 4 - Suspension. D. Scott (S) I-R - Knee.

Houston Texans:  G. Fant (OT) day-to-day - Shoulder. J. Pitre (S) day-to-day - Lung. J. Ward (S) day-to-day - Hip. B. Cashman (LB) day-to-day - Hamstring. D. Ogunbowale (RB) day-to-day - Hamstring. J. Metchie III (WR) day-to-day - Hamstring. T. Howard (OT) Out indefinitely - Hand. C. Johnston (P) Out indefinitely - Calf. J. Scruggs (C) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. K. Green (G) I-R - Shoulder. C. Heck (OT) Out indefinitely - Foot. 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.

Notable Quotes


“We preach getting on all loose balls. It looked like a sack or incomplete pass. Zaire made that play go, getting the punch out. Then seeing Buck go down and score, it was good to see.” - Shane Steichen after his team’s loss against the Jaguars in their last game.


"For his first time out, C.J. was in a tough place to play.” - DeMeco Ryans after his team’s loss against the Ravens in their last game. 


Starting Lineups


Indianapolis Colts
WR Pittman Jr., Michael 
WR Pierce, Alec 
WR Downs, Josh  
TE Alie-Cox, Mo 
QB Richardson, Anthony 
RB Moss, Zack 

Houston Texans
WR Collins, Nico 
WR WOODS, ROBERT 
WR Brown, Noah 
TE Schultz, Dalton 
QB Stroud, C.J. 
RB Pierce, Dameon 
FB Beck, Andrew 

Statistical Leaders


Indianapolis Colts
Passing: A. Richardson (223)
Rushing: A. Richardson (40)
Receiving: M. Pittman Jr. (97)
Touchdowns: M. Pittman Jr. (1)

Houston Texans
Passing: C. Stroud (242)
Rushing: D. Pierce (38)
Receiving: N. Collins (80)
Touchdowns: N/A

Coaches:
Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen (1st season)
Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans (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.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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