Pro Football Picks: Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers

Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, 9/22/13, 4:25 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: San Francisco -10.5
Current Betting Line: San Francisco -10
Opening Total: 45.5
Current Total: 46
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The San Francisco 49ers are 7-1 SU overall against AFC opponents under Jim Harbaugh

Indianapolis will fly to the West Coast for its first road game of the 2013 campaign, as it attempts to bounce back from a 24-20 setback to the Miami Dolphins as one-point home favorites Sunday, while going OVER the betting total of 43.5. The Colts have compiled a 5-0 record in games following a loss under head coach Chuck Pagano, which is important to consider when making your pro football picks in Week 3. Offensively, the team will play the rest of the season without tight end Dwayne Allen and running back Vick Ballard, but management made a big move earlier this week. Indianapolis made a big trade to acquire Trent Richardson from the Cleveland Browns, as he ran for 950 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie campaign in 2012.

The Colts have compiled a league-leading 24-9 record in the month of September over the past 11 years, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro football odds page. Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck will face off with his former college coach for the first time, as he played under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford from 2007-10. “He’s a terrific player,” commented Harbaugh about his former signal-caller in Palo Alto.

San Francisco holds a 11-10 edge at home in the all-time series against Indianapolis, including a 3-1 mark at Candlestick Park. The 49ers have split their first two games, but suffered a 29-3 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, while going UNDER the betting total of 43.5. Harbaugh has tallied a 7-1 overall record against AFC opponents during the regular, including five consecutive wins in that type of situation. San Francisco is 18-11 ATS as a favorite the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 16-13 in those 29 opportunities.

The 49ers are one of three teams in the league not to lose consecutive games since 2011, as they’ve gone 25-8-1 during the Harbaugh era. Since 2011, San Francisco has committed just 31 turnovers—ranking first in that particular category over that span. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be looking to put together a bounce-back effort, considering he had just 127 yards passing in Seattle—his fewest in 12 career starts.