Basically, Saturday night’s matchup between the Houston Texans (9-7, 8-8 0 ATS) and the Indianapolis Colts (9-7, 9-7 0 ATS) is a playoff game. The winner advances to the playoffs. The loser will have a longer offseason than they dreamed of. The big Week 18 AFC South game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium at 8:15pm ET. Houston hopes to get revenge at home in Week 2. Indianapolis needs to win it all or their season is over. Who will come out on top?
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Texans are winning
If the Houston Texans win this game, they will advance to the playoffs. If the Jacksonville Jaguars also lose, Houston will host its first playoff game as AFC South champions. rookie QB CJ Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, could be an instant turnaround for the Texans. Entering Week 18, the Texans are tied for the fewest takeouts on Houston’s offense. The Texans rank fourth in passing, which is the main reason they put up 22.1 points per game (14th). On the ground, Houston is only gaining 3.8 yards per carry (26th). Sacks have been an issue, but Houston is a much different team than it was in Week 2. Will I be able to survive the expedition?
The defense, on the other hand, will be hoping to be better than the 31 points they allowed to the Colts in Week 2. They are 13th in pregame scoring, allowing 20.9 points per game. Houston allows the second fewest yards per rush (3.3), ranks 10th in sacks (45) and takeaways (23). Their biggest weakness is their aerial attack, with the Texans allowing 7.8 yards per attempt (30th). Houston allowed just three runs in last week’s important district win. Will they be able to do it again?
The Colts won and advanced.
If the Indianapolis Colts win this game, they will advance to the playoffs. If the Jacksonville Jaguars also lose, Indianapolis will host its first playoff game as AFC South champions. They will look to dominate the Texans this season with Gardner Minshew starting (Anthony Richardson started in Week 2). Jonathan Taylor He was active (he was on IR). It will be interesting to see what impact they have on an offense that scored 31 points that week. The Colts are averaging 23.6 points per game this season (10th), and that number jumps to 26.5 points at home. Indianapolis has 21 perks this season. They rank 16th in sacks allowed, 16th in rushing average and 22nd in passing average. The Colts have scored at least 21 points in every home game and will need to maintain that streak if they want to make the postseason.
That’s because the Colts’ defense is an issue. They are 27th in points per game (24.5) and are allowing 25.8 points per game at home. Five of the last six opponents have scored at least 20 points. The Colts have 49 sacks (5th) and 24 takeaways, so it’s not all bad. Their defense faces more snaps than any team in the league, but that hasn’t helped their success. Indianapolis allows 5.2 yards per play (18th) and has mediocre numbers against the pass and run. Can the Colts finish the regular season on a strong note defensively?
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The Houston Texans are a different team than they were in Week 2. Since that loss to the Colts, their defense has allowed him fewer than 20 points per game. After only scoring 29 total points in the first two weeks of the season, the offense has averaged over 23 points per game since then.
Meanwhile, there are concerns about Indianapolis’ defense. They are allowing more points per game at home, holding the Steelers to fewer than 20 points in only one of their last six games. Houston’s explosive passing game will cause seizures all night long. It will be a close game, but Houston should come out victorious.
Prediction: Houston Texans -1
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It will be a game where the attacking team will have the upper hand. The Colts are allowing 5.8 points per game at home and have allowed at least 20 points in five of their last six games. Meanwhile, Indianapolis’ offense has scored at least 20 points in every home game this season.
The Texans are allowing the third-most yards per pass attempt, and the Colts can take advantage of that again. Indianapolis allows him 7.2 yards per pass attempt, making him the fourth most explosive passing game in the NFL. No lead is safe in this game as both teams are capable of quick scoring drives through the air. I’ll take over on Saturday night.
Prediction: 47.5+
