NFL Preseason Week 2 Predictions: Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Giants

Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Giants
Sunday, 8/18/13, 7:00 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: New York -2.5
Current Betting Line: New York -1.5
Opening Total: 40
Current Total: 40.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Indianapolis Colts will look to bounce back after a terrible performance in their preseason opener

Indianapolis suffered a 44-20 setback to the Buffalo Bills as 4.5-point home favorites last week, as it was out-gained by 163 total yards, while climbing OVER the betting total of 36.5. “Everybody top to bottom is disappointed,” commented Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. The Colts are looking to move past that result, as they were missing 17 players due to injuries and lost four others over the course of the game. Indianapolis went 11-5 and earned a wild-card berth a season ago, which is important to consider when looking over the NFL betting lines Sunday night.

The Colts have plenty of offensive weapons for quarterback Andrew Luck, with Darrius Heyward-Bey, T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne on the outside, while Coby Fleener presents a major matchup problem in the middle. Indianapolis will need to improve on third-down situations defensively, as Buffalo converted 41 percent of its opportunities in that situation. It’s important to point out that about 40 players will be on their first business trip with the team, which must be considered when making your pro football picks.

New York came away with a 18-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers as 2.5-point road underdogs on Aug. 10, as it won the statistical battle by 57 yards, while going UNDER the betting total of 36. The Giants will meet the Colts in a preseason game for the first time since 1984, as they’ve dropped six of the previous 11 meetings. Quarterback Eli Manning is about to enter his 10th season, as he comes off a 2012 campaign of throwing for 3,948 yards and 26 touchdowns.

The Giants have plenty of weapons for Manning to target downfield, with wide receivers Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle. New York has gone 19-18 in preseason play under longtime head coach Tom Coughlin, but he’s gone 0-6 in games versus the Colts in his career. On the defensive side of the football, all eyes are on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who continues to rehab after offseason back surgery. He has yet to participate in practice, which likely means that he’ll be unavailable for the regular-season opener.