Colts vs. Titans Week 7 matchup preview and current betting lines
The Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1) and Tennessee Titans (3-2) are meeting in what could be the decisive game in the AFC South this year. The Titans are coming off a bye week and have already won a 24-17 matchup in Indianapolis in Week 4.
The Colts are having another strange season with three fourth-quarter comeback wins, a tie in Houston that should have been a win, another brutal loss in Jacksonville (24-0), and that game where they came up short against these Titans. Matt Ryan is taking a fair share of hits, but he keeps coming back for more and already has 1,765 passing yards.
The Colts should have running back Jonathan Taylor in the lineup again after missing two games. However, star linebacker Shaq Leonard is not expected to return this week. He has played in just one game this season.
The Titans have won three in a row, but they are the first NFL team since the 2005 49ers to not score a single point in the fourth quarter of their first five games. With the way the Colts keep coming back late in games, we’ll see if that changes this week. The Titans have had to hang on late in one-score wins over the Raiders, Colts, and Commanders.
The NFL Week 7 odds have the Titans as a 2.5-point home favorite with a total of 41.5 points in this matchup.
Players to watch in the Colts vs. Titans game
Indianapolis Colts
Alec Pierce: Call this rookie Midwest Cooper Kupp. He has been impressive the last month with 18 catches and 271 yards over the last four games. His first NFL touchdown was a game-winning play to beat the Jaguars last week. He is quickly gaining Matt Ryan’s trust as a go-to receiver.
Tennessee Titans
Denico Autry: The former Colt terrorized his old team with a pair of sacks and forced fumbles against Ryan in Week 4. It was the first time he logged any sacks against the Colts in four career games, but Autry is one of the team’s best pass rushers with Harold Landry out for the season. With the way Ryan is fumbling on contact, Autry could be a force again in this one.
Our Best NFL Bets for the Colts vs. Titans game
We have two NFL Week 7 predictions for the game that might just decide the division title this year.
Colts vs. Titans Point Spread Pick: Colts +2.5 (-105)
The Colts vs. Titans spread opened with the Titans as a 1-point home favorite and it has moved up to 2.5 points going into the weekend.
Call me crazy but I think Ryan’s comeback win in Denver will serve as a turning point for this offense and team. He hung in there on a shorthanded night and pulled it out against a great defense. Then after a slow start against the Jaguars, he turned it on with 58 passes and took zero sacks as he got the ball out quickly and was better protected. The offense scored a season-high 34 points, 14 more than their previous best game. And that was against a Jacksonville defense that shut them out 24-0 just weeks earlier.
The NFL can be weird like that, especially when it comes to division games. The Colts may not be great on defense, but the Tennessee passing game is just not that special without A.J. Brown. Ryan Tannehill only threw 21 passes last time, but Derrick Henry was able to rush for 114 yards.
Still, the Week 4 matchup was an odd one with the Titans scoring 24 points on their first four drives, then nothing the rest of the way. They also had touchdown drives of 32 and 28 yards that were set up by Ryan turnovers. Tennessee is 31st in yards per drive this season on offense. If the Colts can protect the ball better with Taylor back to boost the running game, then the defense is good enough to hold the Titans down on the scoreboard.
The Colts shot themselves in the foot last time with three turnovers, including a fumble in the red zone by Taylor in the fourth quarter. If they play with the speed and efficiency they had last week, then they should be able to pull this one out on the road. Let’s go with the underdog, who was the favorite in the preseason to win this division from Tennessee.
Remember to keep up with our NFL picks page for more betting tips.
bet on nfl with BET365Alternate Total: Over 40.5 Points (-130)
Tricky line with two of the last three meetings between these teams ending on 41 points. In fact, eight of the last nine meetings have hit at least 41 points, so we are going to play an alternate line and buy ourselves a half point just to be safe.
But the Colts may be turning the corner on offense under Ryan. Last week was their first game this season without a turnover. It was also the first time since Week 1 that they piled up over 400 yards of offense. In fact, their top three offensive games have been division games this year.
With Alec Pierce coming on to give the Colts more than one receiver besides Michael Pittman, and the return of Jonathan Taylor, this offense should score at least 20 points, if not 27 in this game.
The Titans also should end that drought of no fourth-quarter scoring. They may have to if they want to win this game, because we know the Colts can pass themselves back into a game in the fourth quarter. Ryan has done it four times already this year and may have had a comeback over the Titans if Taylor didn’t fumble.
Maybe the Tennessee offense will come out improved after the bye week. Derrick Henry should be fresh, and he has rushed for at least 85 yards in three straight games. He has to carry the offense more than usual with the inefficiencies at receiver.
This could be a 24-20 or 27-20 game that should hit the over.
bet on nfl with fanduel >Frequently asked questions about the Colts vs. Titans game in week 7
The game is being played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Both coaches were hired in 2018, so this is their 10th matchup in the AFC South. Reich won the first three meetings with Andrew Luck as his quarterback in the first two, but Vrabel has stormed back to take a 5-4 edge after getting the upper hand at quarterback.
While the spread has always been small between these teams since 2018, seven of the last nine meetings have been decided by seven or more points, including five wins by 14-plus points.
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