Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans odds, picks and predictions

Corey Scott

Sportsbook Wire

The Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans open their seasons Sunday at NRG Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Colts vs. Texansodds, and make our expert NFL picks and predictions.

The Colts finished the 2021 season with a 26-11 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 as 14-point favorites that resulted in them missing the playoffs. Indianapolis then brought in QB Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons to replace QB Carson Wentz under center.

Indianapolis is the favorite to win the AFC South at -135. Colts star RB Jonathan Taylor is the favorite to finish the regular season with the most rushing yards at +425 and co-favorite with Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp to win Offensive Player of the Year at +900.

Houston is clearly in a rebuild after only winning 4 games last season. However, the Texans covered the spread in 3 of their final 4 games, including a 41-29 win as 13.5-point underdogs vs. the Los Angeles Chargers in December.

Houston QB Davis Mills finished his rookie campaign with 16 TD and 10 INT. Houston is the favorite at +300 to finish with the worst record in the NFL.

Play to win $25K: USA TODAY NFL Survivor pool !

Colts at Texans odds

Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:38 a.m. ET.

Money line (ML): Colts -340 (bet $340 to win $100) | Texans +270 (bet $100 to win $270)
Against the spread (ATS): Colts -7.5 (+100) | Texans +7.5 (-120)
Over/Under (O/U): 45.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)

FOOTBALL NEVER STOPS

Live games, analysis and more 7 days a week:Get ESPN+

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

Colts at Texans key injuries

Colts

LB Shaquille Leonard (ankle) probable

Texans

None

Colts at Texans picks and predictions

Prediction

Colts 28, Texans 21

Money line

PASS.

The Colts (-340) should win, but the price is too high to bet the money line. While Indianapolis is the better team, Houston showed at the end of last season that it is capable of upsetting big favorites.

Against the spread

Indianapolis has a better roster than Houston, but this will be Ryan's first regular season game with the Colts. Mills has had the time to build chemistry with his receivers that Ryan hasn't had.

Houston is undervalued in this spot considering its offense can build on the chemistry it flashed at the end of last season.

BETTHETEXANS+7.5 (-120).

Over/Under

The Under is 5-0 in the last 5 head-to-head meetings between these teams, but those were under different circumstances. Indianapolis' offense should be much more productive with former MVP Ryan acting as signal-caller, while Houston's offense should have drastically improved since the most recent head-to-head meeting last December.

BET OVER 45.5 (-112).

Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now !

Want some action on this game or any other NFL matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire's official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you're looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Corey Scott on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter andlike us on Facebook.

Access more NFL coverage: