Hoping to extend their undefeated record, the New England Patriots (4-0) travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts (3-2). The NFL’s fifth-leading passer, Tom Brady (1,387 yards, 11 TDs), is a player to keep an eye on in this game. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct 18 and will air on NBC.
In last week’s game, Indianapolis prevailed against the Texans 27-20. Andre Johnson had a huge game in the victory, grabbing six receptions for 77 yards and two TDs. New England also won last week, dominating the Cowboys 30-6. Tom Brady had a great game through the air for the Patriots, connecting on 20 of 27 pass attempts for 275 yards and two TDs. Julian Edelman had a great game as well, adding 120 yards and a TD on four catches.
The Patriots are favored by seven points against the Colts this week and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 55 points.
Even with a positive Straight Up (SU) record of 3-2, the Colts have not been an excellent bet so far this year, going 1-4 Against The Spread (ATS).
Shifting to the opposition, the Patriots head into Week 6 with records of 3-0-1 ATS and 4-0 SU. Moving the ball through the air is essential for the Patriots, whose 331.2 passing yards per game ranks first in the league. New England’s defense may have it easy when they take on the Colts, who average a measly 11.5 points per home game this season. Only allowing 7.2 yards per pass during away games, New England has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s aerial offense. To win, the Patriots need to make the Colts turn the ball over. The Colts rank 31st in the league in turnovers with 2.4 per game. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Patriots, who average 8.5 points in the first 15 minutes during road games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NE, ATS Winner – NE, O/U – Under
Notes
Indianapolis is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games.
Indianapolis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indianapolis’s last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indianapolis’s last 6 games at home.
Indianapolis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Indianapolis is 17-7-1 ATS in its last 25 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indianapolis’s last 7 games when playing New England.
Indianapolis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing New England.
Indianapolis is 2-17-1 ATS in its last 20 games when playing at home against New England.
New England is 4-0 SU this season, when leading at the half. Indianapolis is 2-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
According to overall NFL pass rankings, New England is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its first-ranked offensive passing game will face the 28th-ranked pass defense of Indianapolis, while its 11th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 15th-ranked aerial attack of the Colts.
Indianapolis has only given up 16.5 points per game at home this year, which ranks it fifth in the league. New England, however, has scored 35.0 points per game on the road (ranked second overall).
