Thursday Night Football: Colts at Titans Preview, Prediction and Pick

Division rivals face off at Nissan Stadium on Thursday night with AFC playoff implications.

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Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans Betting Lines

Indianapolis and Tennessee are separated by just one game in the AFC South and the two games these teams play against each other could determine which team wins the division.

The Colts defense does the heavy lifting. Indianapolis is first in total defense and is top-five in pass, rush and scoring defense. That being said, the Colts haven’t exactly imposed their will on other contenders. They’ve played three teams with records over .500 and have gone 1-2 in those games. Those two losses came against the Browns and Ravens. These are two teams that are strong on offense and both teams made it difficult for the Colts defense. On offense, it’s been a mixed bag for QB Philip Rivers. A defense with a pulse has been able to contain him and the offense. Indy has topped 30 points twice and it was against Cincinnati and New York (A).

Tennessee has proven it can win shootouts or ugly, grind-it-out type of games. That makes a team dangerous. RB Derrick Henry is the face of the offense and with good reason. The former Heisman Trophy winner and reigning rushing leader is second in yards and rushing touchdowns, third in yards per game and his 94-yard run is the longest rush of the season.

That being said, this offense is far from one-dimensional. QB Ryan Tannehill is very capable of putting the Titans on his back as well. Tannehill has multiple TD passes in every game but one and often improves his play as the game progresses. He is 8-3 at home since taking over for QB Marcus Mariota last season.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans Key Stats

  • Tennessee’s +10 turnover margin is the best in the NFL
  • Philip Rivers is 57-59 on the road in his career
  • Derrick Henry totaled 233 rush yards (5.6 per carry) and 2 TDs against IND last season

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans Predictions

Tennessee is better than Indianapolis. Its offense is more consistent and while its defense is inferior, the Indianapolis offense isn’t exactly overpowering. The Titans should be able to keep the Rivers-led attack under control. I expect them to force at least one turnover. Philip Rivers hasn’t been as good on the road over his career while Ryan Tannehill has been great at home since joining Tennessee. This game should be close and I trust Tannehill to take better care of the ball than Rivers.

The O/U for this game is tough to call because it depends on the type of game this turns out to be. It could be a tough, low-scoring game but if the offenses live up to their respective averages, the over will hit. Had it not been for a garbage-time TD with four seconds left by San Francisco, the under would have hit five weeks in a row in the TNF game. It could come down to the final seconds again this week but I would take the under if you want to bet the points.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans Pick

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