How many times have we seen a team in the NFL seem to come from nowhere in the final weeks of the season to get into the playoffs, where they then go on to make a deep run? It happens regularly, and one of the main reasons why these teams tend to do so well when the postseason begins is because they have essentially been involved in the equivalent of playoff football for a number of weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles are in that sort of groove right now, while the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts also have a shot at being in that group. Those two will hook up on Sunday night in what is essentially an elimination game. The winner of this one will be in the playoffs next week as one of the Wild Card teams, and the confidence boost that they get from a win here could potentially see them make a bit of a run. The Titans will be at home for this one, but the uncertainty of the health of QB Marcus Mariota has them in as a 3 ½ point underdog. The point total for this one is set at 43.
A win and we’re in. #INDvsTEN
➡️ https://t.co/e0X4hXLaX5 pic.twitter.com/rM1xrXf0N4
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 29, 2018
Sunday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Game Information
What: Sunday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts (9-6) at Tennessee Titans (9-6)
When: Sunday, December 30, 2018, 8:20 PM ET
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
TV: NBC
Weather Forecast
Cloudy: 11°C | 51°F
Humidity: 89%
Wind: 4 MPH S
Stadium Type: Open Air
Why bet on the Indianapolis Colts?
After a slow start to the season, the Indianapolis Colts have been on fire over the last 10 weeks, going 8-2 in their last 10 games, which includes a 3-game win streak coming into this one. The season got a whole lot better for the Colts once it became clear that the injury issues Andrew Luck has had to deal with were not going to be part of the story this year. One factor that you really need to look at here is how well Luck has performed against the Titans in his career, going 10-0 SU as a starter against Tennessee. On the downside, though, the Colts don’t tend to be at their best in night games, as they are 1-9 SU in their last 10 night appearances. They are 4-3-1 ATS as a favorite this season and 1-1 ATS as a road favorite.
Why bet on the Tennessee Titans?
The Titans have some genuine concerns heading into this game, with the health of Marcus Mariota sitting at the top of the list. He suffered an elbow injury in Week 16, and while he is expected to get the start this weekend, you have to wonder just how effective he will be. On the plus side, Derrick Henry has been a beast in the running game this season, so look for the Titans trying to establish the run from the start. The Titans have actually been a very good bet as the underdog this season, going 6-3 ATS in those games, which includes going 3-1 ATS as a home favorite. 4 of the last 5 games for the Titans have gone OVER the point total.
Expert Pick and Prediction
This has all the makings of a close game, but I have a feeling that the Colts are in the position to make the big plays needed to win this one with Andrew Luck under center. I am going with the Colts to win and cover.
Predicted Score Indianapolis Colts 24 | Tennessee Titans 20
