Colts vs Texans Prediction - NFL Picks 9/17/23

Houston Texans (0-1) vs Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

Game Info: Sunday, September 17, 2023 at 1:00 pm (NRG Stadium)

Betting Odds: Houston Texans -1 -- Over/Under: 39.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Indianapolis Colts will play the Houston Texans in Week 2 on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Both of these teams lost in Week 1 and will be looking for their first win of the season in this matchup. 

Colts Preview

The Indianapolis Colts are 0-1 this season after they lost to Jacksonville by a score of 31-21 at home to open the season. Indianapolis trailed this game 14-7 at the half, but they were leading 21-17 in the fourth quarter. The Colts couldn’t hold up in the final quarter and Jacksonville scored 10 points in just about a minute to get the win. The Colts were out gained by a total of 342-280 and turned the ball over three times in the game. Indianapolis threw for 215 yards and ran for 65 yards, while going 2-12 on third downs and 1-5 on fourth downs. Anthony Richardson threw for 223 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while also rushing for 40 yards and a touchdown. Deon Jackson rushed 13 times for 14 yards, while Michael Pittman Jr. caught eight passes for 97 yards and one score. The Colts defense allowed 237 passing yards and 105 rushing yards, but did force two turnovers in the game. 

Texans Preview

The Houston Texans are 0-1 this season after they lost to Baltimore by a score of 25-9 in their first game. Houston only trailed 7-6 at halftime, but the Ravens extended the lead to 22-6 in third quarter. The Texans did add three points in the fourth quarter, but ultimately the poor third quarter did them in. Houston actually out gained Baltimore by a total of 268-265 and won the turnover battle by a total of 2-1. The Texans threw for 196 yards and rushed for 72 yards, while going 7-18 on third downs and 1-4 on fourth down attempts. C.J. Stroud threw for 242 yards with 0 touchdowns or interceptions in the loss. Dameon Pierce rushed 11 times for 38 yards, while Nico Collins caught six passes for 80 yards in the game. The Houston defense allowed 155 passing yards and 110 rushing yards, while forcing two turnovers in the loss.

Houston Texans Team Facts

  • The Texans have lost each of their last 10 home games following a road loss.
  • The Texans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five home games against teams that held a losing record.
  • The Texans have lost the first quarter in four of their last five home openers as favorites.
  • The Texans have won the first half in each of their last four September games against AFC South opponents.
  • Each of the Texans' last seven home games against the Colts have gone UNDER the total points line.

Indianapolis Colts Team Facts

  • The Colts have lost each of their last seven games following a loss.
  • The Colts have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine September road games against AFC opponents.
  • The Colts have won the first quarter in each of their last four games as road underdogs.
  • The Colts have lost the first half in 14 of their last 15 games against AFC opponents.
  • The Colts have scored the first touchdown in eight of their last 10 road games against the Texans.

Houston Texans Player Prop Facts

  • Devin Singletary has scored at least one touchdown in each of his last two appearances following a loss.

Indianapolis Colts Player Prop Facts

  • Michael Pittman Jr. has scored a touchdown in each of the Colts' last three Sunday games.
  • Michael Pittman Jr. has recorded 58+ receiving yards in each of his last five road appearances against AFC South opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Texans ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing yards per game (86.8) last season
  • The Texans ranked T30th in the NFL in points per game (17.0) last season
  • The Colts ranked 1st in the AFC South for total yards allowed per game last season (334.0)
  • The Colts ranked 2nd in the NFL in kickoff return yards per game (70.4) last season

Pick

Both of these teams are looking for their first win of the season and both are starting rookie quarterbacks. Indianapolis played decently in their first game of the season and had a late lead against the Jags, while Houston played a poor second half against Baltimore. This should be an entertaining matchup between Richardson and Stroud, but I have to give the edge to the Texans here. Houston is at home and they played pretty well against the Ravens for most of that game. Give me the Texans to get the win here. 

David’s Pick Texans ML

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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