Written By: Evan Perkins
The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts kick off their NFL season at Lucas Oil Stadium for a divisional showdown on Sunday, September 8, at 1:00 PM ET. The Texans are slight favorites to win, with a point spread at -3.0 (+100).
The Texans finished on top of the AFC South last season with a 10-7 record. They were arguably the most improved team last year and aim to build on that progress.
CJ Stroud had an outstanding rookie season and led the Texans past the first round of the playoffs. Although they would later lose to the Baltimore Ravens, they had put together a successful season.
The offense scored 377 points, or 22.2 points per game, last year, which ranked 13th in the league. They kept a core group of players but added additional talent, such as Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs. Offensively, they could be deadly against most of the league.
The Texans' defense allowed 353 points or 20.8 points per game. This ranked 11th overall, and it will be interesting to see if they can improve with young talent and veteran defenders.
The Colts were just a coin flip away from having a terrific season last year. They finished third in the division behind the Texans with a 9-8 record and went 4-5 at home.
They will have Anthony Richardson back in the lineup as quarterback after having him miss most of the season due to an injury last year. They also have Shane Steichen back for another year of coaching and will look to improve upon his first year.
Offensively, they still look good on paper since they have many returning talent with newer additions. One of those talented players is wide receiver Josh Dawson, who might miss this game and will be a game-time decision.
They averaged 23.3 points per game and ranked 10th in the league last year. On defense, they allowed opponents to get 24.4 points a game and rank 28th. If they made adjustments from last season on defense, they have a shot at winning.
The Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL odds are brought to you by MyBookie, with the Texans as 3.0-point favorites. Current betting trends show the Texans having a 53.7 percent chance of winning outright.
The Colts do not have a great history of winning their opener for the season, and based on his play, Anthony Richardson's health is questioned. Look for the Texans to add another win to the history books over the Colts while covering the spread.
