Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts Week 1 Preview: Best Bet, Odds, and Prediction

Week 1 Matchup Preview: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

Date: September 8, 2024, 1:00 PM ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
BetMGM Odds: Texans -120, Texans -1.5, O/U 48.5

As the NFL season kicks off, the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts face off in a tightly matched Week 1 contest at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Texans, slightly favored with BetMGM odds at -120 and a narrow spread of -1.5, are looking to start their season on the right foot. The Colts, playing at home, aim to capitalize on familiar surroundings to secure an early victory. With the over/under set at 48.5, this game is expected to be a high-scoring affair, making it an enticing matchup for bettors. In this article, we’ll explore the best bets, odds, and predictions for this closely contested Week 1 battle.

My Best Bet: Texans -1.5

The C.J. Stroud/DeMeco Ryans Era got off to an awesome start last year when the Texans not only made the playoffs, but won their Wild Card game against the Browns by the score of 45-14. After going 3-13 the year before, the franchise wasted no time turning things around and have one of the best offensive cores in the entire league: Stroud at QB, Joe Mixon at RB, Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell and Nico Collins at WR. Houston has gone a perfect 6-0 ATS versus division opponents while on the road over the last three seasons and I don’t only think they’re going to be a playoff team, but they’re going to contend for a championship. Keep in mind that Houston also added defensive end Danielle Hunter, who had 16.5 sacks and 83 tackles last season.

While Colts QB Anthony Richardson is a lot of fun to watch, he did not exactly light it up in the preseason appearances he made and has a proven inability to stay healthy. I am also high on Indy this season, however, not only because I trust backup QB Joe Flacco if Richardson gets injured or struggles, but because Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. are also both legitimate stars behind a solid offensive line. This bet, to me, is simply a product of how impressive Stroud and Houston were last season and the impactful offseason the organization had. This is arguably the most complete team in the NFL and, in my opinion, they’re right there as the best championship bet on the board, right behind the Chiefs.

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