The struggling Indianapolis Colts will travel to Gillette Stadium this Sunday to take on the New England Patriots. The Colts have lost two straight, while the Patriots are coming off a much-needed divisional road win against the Jets. The last time these two teams met, the Colts came away with a win in the matchup last December. Considering Indianapolis is struggling on offense, the Patriots will look to flip the script on Sunday. Check out this full Colts at Patriots Preview and betting picks.
Colts In Week 8
The Colts are 3-4-1 and coming off a 17-16 loss to the Commanders, where they looked completely lost on offense. Matt Ryan has been benched for second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger, and Frank Reich remains on the hot seat. The game was competitive up until the end, and the Colts had multiple chances to win but couldn’t come through.
Patriots In Week 8
The Patriots had an excellent bounce-back performance against their division rival on Sunday. While the offense didn’t look pretty, they were able to get the job done behind their two-headed running back monster. Their running backs, Stevenson and Harris continue to get the job done. The defense played much better than their performance against the Bears on Monday night and had Zach Wilson seeing ghosts.
On The Call
The game on Sunday will be televised nationally on CBS, with kickoff set for 1:00 pm ET. Greg Gumbel, Greg Archuleta, and sideline reporter AJ Ross will be on the call. You can listen to the game locally on 98.5, The Sports Hub in Boston.
Colts at Patriots Preview Notes
- With Devin McCourty’s two interceptions on Sunday, he passed Marcus Peters for the most picks by an active player (33).
- Trade Deadline: The Colts traded backup running back Nyheim Hines to the Bills, while New England kept quiet amongst tons of rumors.
- The key for Mac Jones to keep his job is not to turn over the football and play more conservatively. He’s likely a pick-six away from being the backup to Bailey Zappe.
- DeVante Parker is second in the NFL in average yards per reception with 21.4. However, Parker has been ruled out for this one.
- Rhamondre Stevenson continues to be a force on the ground, even with the return of Damien Harris last Sunday.
- Matthew Judon leads the NFL with 8.5 sacks and remains the Patriot’s most consistent player on defense.
- Speaking of consistency, Nick Folk might be the Patriot’s best offensive player. He’s been as good as you could have expected, with another five made field goals against the Jets.
- Bill Belichick passed the great George Halas on Sunday for the second most wins in NFL history for a head coach.
- The Patriots have 23 total sacks on the season, which is good for 5th in the NFL.
- Watch out for Sam Ehlinger using his legs on Sunday.
- Jonathan Taylor was less than 100% when he faced off against the Commanders. He’s missed time due to injury this season, and he’ll be out for this game as well.
- The Colts are ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing yards. Their offensive line has struggled for most of the season.
- As we saw last week, Bill Belichick knows how to confuse a young quarterback. Expect some forced turnovers by the Patriot’s defense on Sunday.
- Michael Pittman leads the Colts in both receptions (51) and receiving yards (528).
- Jake Bailey had a much better day punting the ball against the Jets.
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em
Patriots’ Defense: A young quarterback against a Bill Belichick defense is a recipe for disaster, as we saw last week. Sam Ehlinger is a dual-threat quarterback, but he doesn’t have the athletic ability of a guy like Justin Fields, who torched them in week 7.
Rhamondre Stevenson: Damien Harris did not practice on Wednesday. It shouldn’t be a problem as Stevenson saw most of the snaps last Sunday. Considering how poor the Patriots’ quarterback play has been this season, expect Rhamondre to continue being a PPR stud. He’ll go for 5+ catches from him on Sunday.
Fantasy Football Sit ‘Em
Mac Jones: Continue to stay away from Mac Jones until further notice. Jones has a 3:7 TD-INT ratio this season, and the second-year quarterback continues to make rookie mistakes. Even in deep fantasy leagues, avoid Mac like the plague.
Damien Harris: Coming back from injury, Harris only played about 41% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps on Sunday. It looks like Stevenson will be the lead back, with Harris getting more opportunities around the goal line. Given New England’s inability to punch the ball into the endzone this season, stay away from Harris for now.
Colts at Patriots Preview Betting Picks
Colts Vs. Patriots Odds
- Patriots -6 (-110)
- Patriots -260 / Colts +210
- Over/Under 40.5 Points (-110)
Thomas’ Final Thoughts and Prediction
This game will stay relatively close with both sides missing key offensive contributors. Colts quarterback won’t be able to do enough to beat the Patriots at home. Anyone who wants to bet a side in this one should bet the Colts +6, because the Pats won’t win by a touchdown. Also, neither defense is fantastic so the game will end around 43 points to hit the over.
Colts at Patriots Preview Prediction – Patriots 24 – Colts 19