The Indianapolis Colts are back on the road this week to face the Tennessee Titans, who are coming off their bye week with added rest and time to prepare for this matchup.
This is a very important game for the Colts, not only because a loss puts them at 2-4 on the season, but they would also fall to 0-3 in the AFC South and 1-3 within the conference,
The Tennessee offense has struggled to get going this season, but the defense has been quite stingy, ranking among the best in both yards per rush allowed and yards per pass attempt.
Some good news, is that it sounds like the Colts are getting healthier on the offensive side of the ball for this matchup, providing a big boost.
So who’s going to win this game? Let’s take a look at who the experts are picking in this one.
ESPN
Two of the three staff members from ESPN making the predictions picked the Colts in this game. ESPN’s FPI model also gives the Colts a 52.5 percent chance of winning this game with an average margin of victory of 0.7 points.
NFL.com
All five members of the NFL.com staff picked the Titans to win this game. Gennaro Filice ultimately picked the Titans in this one because of their defense, which as alluded to, has been quite good this season. And although they’ve struggled to create takeaways, Filice believes they force a couple today.
Bleacher Report
Five of the eight Bleacher Report staff members picked the Colts to win this one. Brent Sobleski was one who picked the Titans, noting that they are coming off a bye week, the Colts struggles on defense, and that the Tennessee defense gives them a big advantage.
USA Today
The Colts were the favorite selection here, with five of the six members of the USA Today crew taking Indianapolis in this matchup.
Pro Football Talk
Both Mike Florio and Chris Simms are picking the Titans to win a close and low-scoring matchup. Florio, like many others, referenced the stout Titans defense as being a key factor in this game.
The Athletic
Vic Tafur is picking the Colts. He mentions the struggles at quarterback for the Titans allowing the Colts defense to find some success. He also notes that neither team generates much pressure on defense, perhaps giving the Colts quarterback (Joe Flacco or Anthony Richardson) the upper-hand.