The Indianapolis Colts (4-2) are ready to hit the road for a visit to Ford Field taking on the Detroit Lions (3-3) for a Week 8 matchup coming out of their bye week.
Opening the week as slight road favorites in the matchup, the Colts have won four of their last five games while the Lions are winners in three of their last four.
Here’s how the experts around the league see this game shaking out:
| Expert | Pick | Score (if applicable) |
| Nate Davis (USA TODAY) | Lions | 22-20 |
| Mike Jones (USA TODAY) | Colts | 28-24 |
| Jarrett Bell (USA TODAY) | Colts | 24-22 |
| Mike Clay (ESPN) | Lions | N/A |
| Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) | Lions | 23-20 |
| Bill Bender (Sporting News) | Lions | 27-24 |
| Will Brinson (CBS Sports) | Lions | 24-21 |
| Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) | Colts | 23-17 |
| NumberFire | Colts | N/A |
| Pro Football Focus | Colts | N/A |
| Bleacher Report | Colts | 24-23 |
Just like the Vegas odds, the experts believe this will be a close matchup and one that could swing either way. Over at NFL Pickwatch, the Colts are favored by 74% of the experts as of Friday morning.
This will be a real test for the Colts. The Lions offense led by Matthew Stafford will be their biggest challenge yet at the quarterback position, but it should help that they are expecting to see the return of linebacker Darius Leonard from a groin injury.
The playoff push for the Colts begins this week as they are currently the No. 7 seed in AFC. With the schedule getting much tougher over the next month, this game is vital for Indy.
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