Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Sunday, January 2, 2011, 4:15 pm EST, TV: CBS
Opening Line: Colts -8.5
Current Line: Colts -10
Opening Total: 47
Current Total: 48
Money Line: Colts -500 / Titans +400
The Indianapolis Colts (9-6) have obviously not enjoyed the same kind of success they did a year ago when they started out 14-0, but they can still win the AFC South for the seventh time in eight seasons on Sunday with a victory against the Tennessee Titans (6-9). The Colts (-10) have not missed the playoffs since 2001 and seem poised to make another postseason run if they can just get by the Titans.
With a victory, Indianapolis will host either Baltimore, Pittsburgh or the New York Jets next week depending on what happens in their games. The defending AFC champions have won three straight games following a three-game losing skid that had put their streak of consecutive years making the playoffs in jeopardy. Only Dallas has a longer streak of qualifying for the postseason (from 1975-83), and the Colts can equal that NFL record with another appearance this year.
Offensively, Indy is starting to find more balance with the return of starting running back Joseph Addai and the signing of Dominic Rhodes. Addai played his first game since Week 6, rushing for 45 yards on 12 carries in a 31-26 victory at Oakland last week. Rhodes also had his best game since returning to the team from the UFL, rushing for a season-high 98 yards on 17 carries. The Colts put together their highest rushing total since 2007 with 191 yards overall.
That has certainly taken some pressure off quarterback Peyton Manning, who was definitely forcing things a bit early in the second half of the season. Manning threw 13 interceptions during a five-game stretch that saw Indianapolis go 1-4, but he has recovered to throw six touchdowns with only two picks in winning the last three games.
The first of those three wins came at Tennessee in Week 14 (30-28), with the Titans covering the spread on the very last play of the game. The Colts had jumped out to a 21-0 lead late in the second quarter only to have Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins throw three touchdown passes in the second half for the cover. The last one went to tight end Bo Scaife as time expired.
Collins has put up some decent numbers since replacing Vince Young, but he has only one win to show for it in the last four games. In fact, the Titans have lost seven times in eight games, going 2-6 against the spread during that stretch with the OVER cashing in the past three. They are 6-3 ATS in the last nine meetings with Indy, and the OVER is 5-0-1 in the past six games overall for the Colts.
Now that you have read this AFC South football betting preview featuring the Colts & Titans, make sure to check out the NFL odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
