Week Two NFL Previews and Predictions: Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts

Miami at Indianapolis
Time: 1 PM EST, Sunday Sept 15
Line: IND -1
M/L: IND -132, MIA +112
O/U: 42.5

Odds courtesy of 5dimes

The Indianapolis Colts were a surprise team in 2012, but they aren’t taking anyone by surprise this season. The league is wide-aware of what Andrew Luck can do, and Indianapolis has surrounded the gifted QB with a multitude of talent on both sides of the ball. In the opening week game against Oakland, the Colts managed a four point victory despite only amassing 274 yards while giving up 372. Luck completed 18-of-23 passes and threw two touchdowns with 0 INTs, while posting a 127.9 QB rating. If the Colts are going to rally past a tough Dolphins’ “D,” they’re going to need similar accuracy from Luck.

Vick Ballard tore his ACL and is out for the season, so Ahmad Bradshaw is going to be seeing a whole lot of carries now, to say the least. Bradshaw has a history of injuries, so it’s dubious as to whether this Indianapolis team can sustain contention without adding another back to feature in the offense. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last season in New York, so the Colts will need that type of production from the Marshall product.

Miami won 23-10 over Cleveland in week one. The Dolphins utilized the pass nearly exclusively, throwing for 255 yards but getting just 20 on the ground. Ryan Tannehill was sacked four times for 17 yards of loss and threw an interceptions, while the Dolphins backs combined for just 17 yards on 18 runs.

Getting ground production is a must, no matter how good Tannehill can be at times. Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller are middling talents in the backfield, but the team chose not to re-sign Reggie Bush. Expect the Dolphins to rely heavily on receivers Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, who have both combined for 16 receptions and 191 yards.

With both teams lacking backfield production, this game could take to the air and be a relatively high scoring affair. Luck has the better receiving corp and heads a better offense, which may be why NFL oddsmakers at 5dimes favor the Colts by a point.