The Colts have won 15 of the last 16 meetings with Houston in very high-scoring affairs, with nine of the last 10 going OVER the total. The Texans have managed to stay close in each of the last four meetings – covering twice – with three of them decided by six points or less.
No team in the NFL seems to have more to prove in the season-opener than Houston. The Texans had the league’s top passer in Matt Schaub (4,770 passing yards) and leading receiver in Andre Johnson (1,569 yards) last year but finished 30th in the NFL in rushing, averaging only 92.2 yards per game. Indianapolis actually ranked dead last in that category with a dismal 80.9 rushing yards per game.
With quarterbacks like Schaub and Indy’s Peyton Manning leading the respective offenses, it is no surprise that these teams have not relied much on their ground games and instead put up some fireworks when they meet. The Colts have needed to score 21 points in the fourth quarter alone of each of the last two meetings at Reliant Stadium to knock off the Texans.
Indy’s running game features a two-headed monster of Joseph Addai and Donald Brown, who could have some trouble running against Houston if left tackle Charlie Johnson (foot) and center Jeff Saturday (knee) do not play. Johnson and Saturday are both listed as questionable, and the play calling will be directed by first-year offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen.
The Texans are hoping that second-year running back Arian Foster is the answer to their rushing woes after promising rookie Ben Tate broke his ankle in the preseason. Foster finished last season by rushing for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the last two weeks and looked good at times in the preseason.
Defensively, the Colts will have All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney back at full strength after he was bothered by a torn ligament in his right ankle in the Super Bowl. Former Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders also returns healthy following another injury-riddled season. Houston will be without reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing, who was suspended four games in the offseason for testing positive for HCG but still got to keep his award.
We personally took Houston +3 about a month ago but that number is long gone. If you can still find a +3 on this game that is the only side we would like, at the current number the game looks lined right. We will have 5 NFL picks for Sunday ready to go on Friday night, you can get these winners by visiting the expert NFL picks page of the website. A smart investment for the NFL bettor.
