5 Buccaneers the Colts must game plan for in Week 14

Colts must game plan for these Bucs in Week 14.

The Colts, currently at 6-6 on the year, are not completely out of the playoff picture after losing four of their last five games. On Sunday, Frank Reich’s squad will travel to Tampa Bay to face off against former Colts interim head coach, Bruce Arians and his Buccaneers currently sitting at 5-7.

While this Bucs roster is full of talent at every position, they have struggled to find a consistent rhythm on both sides of the ball and have lost a lot of games late. Either way this team is not to be underestimated.

Here are five Buccaneers the Colts must gameplan for in order to get their season back on track and keep their postseason hopes alive:

WR Mike Evans

This is the obvious one. At 6’5″ and weighing 230 pounds, Evans is one of the hardest receivers in the league to cover. His 1,096 receiving yards are currently the third-best in the NFL and his seven touchdowns are currently tied for the fifth-most among receivers.

Stopping Evans will be imperative for the Colts secondary if they want to win this game. Evans is targeted heavily on third down and in the red zone, so it will be important for Matt Eberflus to order double coverage on Evans a majority of snaps.

Look for Pierre Desir and Malik Hooker to provide the coverage on Evans and try to get physical with him at the line of scrimmage.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Titans: WR Zach Pascal

Zach Pascal is the player of the game in Week 13.

With T.Y Hilton suffering a setback on his injured calf this week and Chester Rodgers exiting the game in the first quarter, the Indianapolis Colts receiving corps was thin. However, Zach Pascal stepped up in a huge capacity as the Colts fell to the Tennessee Titans, 31-17.

He finished the day with seven receptions for 109 yards, averaging 15.6 yards per catch. Pascal was the main target in the Colts passing game that had to get going quickly.

Having lacked explosive plays over the last month, Pascal had a huge hand in changing that. Of the eight passing plays going 16 yards or more, Pascal had four of them on the day.

Pascal needed a solid performance after struggling the past few weeks to get things going as he had earlier in the season. He gave all he could Sunday as the Colts’ fourth-quarter meltdown cost them the win.

Hopefully, the Colts receivers can get healthy as the team travels to Tampa Bay next week to try and salvage the season. Pascal epitomizes the hard work and “next man up” mentality that the Colts have had all year.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts Week 13 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Tennessee Titans (6-5) visit the Indianapolis Colts (6-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff. We analyze the Titans-Colts odds and lines, with NFL Week 13 betting picks and tips for the matchup. They’re tied for second in the AFC South, one game behind the Houston Texans (7-4), and in the thick of the wild-card race.

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Titans at Colts: Week 13 preview, betting trends and notes

The Titans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games, but just 6-5 for the season. The Colts are 2-3 ATS in their last five after starting 4-1-1 in 2019.
Indianapolis is 10-2 SU in its last 12 home games. The Colts have been even better at home, specifically against the Titans, going 10-1 in their last 11.
The Colts have covered the spread in each of their last seven games against the AFC South.
The Titans are 1-4 ATS vs. teams with a winning record in their last five games.
The total has gone over in each of the Titans’ last five games and five of the Colts’ last seven home contests.
The favorite has gone 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings between these two teams.

Titans at Colts: Key injuries

Titans TE Delanie Walker (ankle) has been placed on injured reserve and is out for the year.

Colts RB Marlon Mack remains out with a hand injury, which required surgery last week.

Titans at Colts: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated on Wednesday at 2:25 p.m. ET

Prediction

Titans 24, Colts 21

Moneyline (?)

The Titans come into this one as the much hotter team. They’ve really improved since QB Ryan Tannehill took over, and his strong stretch of play will continue this weekend.

Bet the TITANS (+115) to win straight-up behind a strong rushing attack from Derrick Henry and steady play by Tannehill.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Titans to win outright would return a profit of $11.50.

Against the Spread (?)

The Colts are favored by 2.5 points at home, which means the oddsmakers see the Titans as the slightly better team if on a neutral field. Getting two points with Tennessee is enticing, considering the Titans have covered in four of their last five games.

Bet the TITANS (+2.5, -106) to cover the spread against a Colts team that has been struggling.

Over/Under (?)

The Titans have been hot as of late, winning four of their last five games and scoring at least 20 points in each of the five contests. Their last two wins against the Jaguars (42 points) and Chiefs (35 points) have been especially impressive, too.

The over/under is set at 43.5. Considering the Over has hit in each of the Titans’ last five games, that’s a pretty solid bet. Take the OVER (-110) in this one.

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6 Titans the Colts must game plan for in Week 13

These Titans must be in the game plan in Week 13.

The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts both sit at 6-5 ahead of a highly-anticipated AFC South matchup Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. This a must-win for both teams as they try to keep pace with Houston for the division and the tight race for the AFC wild card as well.

If the Colts want to get back on track after a long week, here are six Titans the Colts must game plan for in the Week 13 divisional matchup.

QB Ryan Tannehill

After winning four of their last five, Tannehill seems to be the short-term solution in Tennessee. Getting after him and forcing him to make rushed throws will be key for the Colts in this one. With the ability to spread the ball to a variety of receivers, shutting down Tannehill will be vital to a victory.

The Colts must also be aware of Tannehill’s ability as a runner, which is an underrated aspect of his game.

RB Derrick Henry

November-Henry is a real thing. The fourth-year back has been criticized throughout his career for being inconsistent on a week to week basis but in the month of November, Henry has been very productive during his time in Tennessee.

The Colts will have to shut down Henry in order to throw the entire offense off track in this one. When the Titans get the run game going, their offense becomes a lot more threatening.

WR A.J. Brown

The rookie receiver has been a great addition to this offense. With the size to go over the top of defenders and the speed to create separation, Brown has emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game.

Look for Pierre Desir to matchup against Brown on Sunday, mostly because of a size comparison. Don’t be surprised if Malik Hooker or Marvel Tell matchup against Brown as well.

LB Rashaan Evans

Leading the team in tackles with 85 on the year, Evans is one of the better linebackers in all of football. His run stopping ability is incredible and his speed makes it easy for him to cover tight ends as well. With Eric Ebron being placed on IR on Monday, Jack Doyle and others will have to find success after a lackluster performance in Houston.

CB Logan Ryan

Ryan has been dominant throughout his entire career, filling up a stat sheet week to week. His line on the year is 78 total tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, 16 passes defended and 3.5 sacks. Ryan will most likely be on T.Y. Hilton all game as Hilton tries to bounce back after a pitiful performance against Houston.

LB Harold Landry III

The other linebacker in the Titans talented duo is Landry. Where Evans is more utilized in the passing game, Landry is moved all around the field and is a talented pass rusher. With eight sacks on the season, it will be crucial for the Colts to stop Landry blitzing up the middle in order to give Brissett time in the pocket.

Texans vs. Colts: Who is picking Houston in Week 12?

The Houston Texans face the Indianapolis Colts in NFL Week 12. CBS Sports, USA Today, Pro Football Focus, NFL.com make their picks.

The 6-4 Houston Texans come into their Thursday night matchup with the 6-4 Indianapolis Colts as slight favorites at NRG Stadium.

Thursday night’s Texans vs. Colts battle isn’t just another chapter of a growing rivalry, it’s one with deep playoff implications — with the winner taking full-control of the tight AFC South. Here is what the experts say about the game:

CBS Sports (Cody Benjamin): Texans

texans-bill-obrien-fans-booing-late-fourth-quarter — (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin has the Texans winning in a close bout, 24-23. The reason being the NRG Stadium home field advantage and the need for redemption for Deshaun Watson and Co.

“Pretty much every AFC South game is a coin flip. This is no exception. The Colts should be able to attack Houston’s secondary, but Deshaun Watson will be out to prove Week 11’s flop was an anomaly. At home on a short week, he gets the slight edge,” said Benjamin.

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Colts-Texans odds, picks and best bets [UPDATED]

Previewing the Colts at Texans Week 12 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Indianapolis Colts (6-4) and Houston Texans (6-4) are tied atop the AFC South and will meet in Week 12 for a game with huge playoff implications. The winner will be in the driver’s seat in the division, while the loser could fall out of the playoff picture.

Kickoff from NRG Stadium in Houston will be at 8:20 p.m. ET on Thursday night.

Colts at Texans: Week 12 preview, betting trends and notes

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The Texans were blown out by the Ravens on Sunday, losing 41-7 as 4.5-point underdogs. It was the third time this season they’ve failed to win a third straight game.
The Colts took care of the Jaguars in Week 11, winning 33-13 at home. It ended a two-game losing skid following losses to the Steelers and Dolphins.
The Colts are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven road games against Houston. They’ve won three straight vs. the Texans, too, dating back to last December.
Houston is 14-4 straight up in its last 18 games against the AFC South.
The Colts are 6-0 ATS in their last six against the AFC South, and are 3-0 this season.
In their last 11 games against teams above .500, the Colts are 10-1 ATS.

Colts at Texans: Key injuries

Colts RB Marlon Mack left Sunday’s game with a hand injury and will miss the game. WR T.Y. Hilton (calf) and TE Eric Ebron (ankle) are expected to play. WR Parris Campbell (hand) is less certain.

Texans WR Will Fuller (hamstring) remains questionable.