Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts Odds, Spread, Preview: NFL Week 8 Predictions

By Lawrence Smelser

Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts Week 8 matchup preview and current betting lines

The Commanders will head to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the Colts Sunday with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. EST. The matchup can be viewed on Fox.

The week 8 contest is pivotal for both teams. If Indianapolis wins, it’ll move to a winning 4-3-1 record for the season. Should Washington win, they’ll climb back to .500. 

“Riverboat Ron” and his team are on a high note after upsetting Green Bay 23-21 last week. Taylor Heinicke threw a 63-yard pick-six early in the second quarter giving the Packers a 14-3 lead. Washington then scored 20-straight points to seal the comeback win. The Commanders now have two wins in a row after their rough 1-4 start to the year.

Indianapolis is coming off a disspiriting 19-10 loss to Tennessee. The Titans jumped ahead 13-0 in the first half, then the Colts attempted a comeback cutting the lead to as few as six points but a late Randy Bullock field goal with 4:47 remaining made it a two-game and put the contest out of reach.

The Colts’ defense did a good job limiting Mike Vrabel’s offense. There is now a changing of the guard under center for the Colts. After quarterback Matt Ryan threw two picks in the contest, head coach Frank Reich decided that he’d seen enough. Reich named second-year pro, Sam Ehlinger, the new starter early in the week. Sunday’s outing will be Ehlinger’s first-ever start but the Longhorn does add mobility to the position. 

Through seven weeks, Ryan threw for 2,008 yards, nine touchdowns, nine interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 41.9 (22nd in the league). The quarterback will have to make a decision to retire this offseason or look for employment elsewhere. 

The current moneyline odds for this matchup on FanDuel Sportsbook are Washington (+126) vs. Indianapolis (-148). Oddsmakers favor the Colts as 3-point favorites at -105 odds. Among the public, 69% of spread bets have been placed on the Commanders to cover, while 52% of the money is on the Colts to win straight up. 

Players to watch in the Commanders vs. Colts contest

Washington

Terry McLaurin: The speedy wideout caught a first down on third and long against Green Bay which helped wind down the clock and make it practically impossible for the Packers to come back. The former Buckeye has 27 catches for 440 yards and two touchdowns this season. The 27-year-old’s 16.3 yards per catch are 10th in the NFL. McLaurin has recorded 73 or more yards in four of seven contests. 

Indianapolis

Sam Ehlinger: The 2021 sixth-round pick out of Texas in this year’s draft will be expected to make an immediate impact. Although Ryan hasn’t played well this season, he’s still a respected quarterback around the league and a former MVP. With the Longhorns, Ehlinger threw 94 touchdowns compared to just 27 interceptions. He also won MVP awards in the Sugar Bowl and Alamo Bowl.

Our NFL bet of the week for the Commanders vs. Colts

ESTNN is providing wagerers with two free selections for this game.

Washington vs. Indianapolis Spread: Washington +3 @ -105

This contest features two teams that are the definition of the phrase “hot and cold”. Both teams have had their ups and downs primarily because of quarterback play.

The Commanders traded for Carson Wentz during the offseason and the experiment hasn’t gone as planned. The 29-year-old has thrown for 1,489 yards, 10 touchdowns, six interceptions (28th in the league) and holds a quarterback rating of 33.9 (third-worst in the NFL). 

Heinicke has stepped into the starting role due to Wentz fracturing his ring finger in Washington’s week 6 win over Chicago. Wentz will be out for four to six weeks with the injury.  Heinicke already has half the amount of wins (1) that Wentz had (2). 

Washington’s defense has been keeping it in games this season. The unit ranks 13th in total defense (336 yards allowed per contest) and 19th in points per game (22.3). Offensively, the Commanders rank 24th in the NFL with 326.6 yards per game and 26th in points per contest (17.9).

Indianapolis’ defense has also been saving the team week to week. Reich’s unit ranks 8th in total defense (313.7 YPG) and 13th in average weekly points surrendered (20). On the other side of the ball, the offense is third-worst in the NFL in scoring offense (16.1) and 16th in total offense (341.6 YPG). The Colts’ offensive staff will hope Ehlinger can inject some life into the offense. 

Last season, Indianapolis relied on running back Jonathan Taylor to provide a spark. The 2021 FedEx Ground Player of the Year recorded 1,811 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns with an average of 5.5 yards per carry. He also added 360 yards and two scores through the air. 

In 2022-2023 it’s been disappointing so far for the former second-rounder. Taylor has recorded 386 rushing yards and has only broken the plane once. His yards per attempt is also down to 4.2 (33rd). 

The Colts will face off against the opposing quarterback, Heinicke. The journeyman signal-caller has found a home in Washington as a backup and has performed around average. Heinicke holds an 8-9 record as a starter with the team. His dual-threat ability also helps open up the playbook. 

Washington is 3-4 against the spread this season but has covered in two straight contests. Rivera’s men are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 matchups vs. AFC opponents. Indy is 3-6 against the spread in its last nine contests and is 3-4 ATS this campaign. 

At ESTNN, we believe it’s wise to take Washington to cover the 3-point spread against a quarterback who’s never attempted a pass in a regular season game. FanDuel is offering -105 odds for the selection on its sportsbook.

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Commanders vs. Colts odds: Brian Robinson over 15.5 rushing attempts @ +100

Brian Robinson’s rapid recovery after being shot on August 28 in the leg twice by robbers has warmed the hearts of many people in the NFL. The former Alabama star made his debut three weeks ago against Tennessee but was slowly brought back into the fold. 

Rivera said he would put the pigskin in Robinson’s hands consistently after that week 5. That has been the scenario in the last two contests with the 23-year-old receiving 17 and 20 carries. The organization didn’t draft him in the third round to ride the bench or split carries. 

Robinson’s average yards per attempt have risen each week and he’ll likely continue his workhorse load this week against Indy. Oddsmakers have the game being close so the game script shouldn’t warrant Robinson shying away from rushing attempts. 

We believe at ESTNN that Robinson will have over 15.5 carries against the Colts. BetMGM is offering the prop at even money. If you’re interested in learning about more prop bets for week 8, read our NFL player props page.

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