Texans vs. Colts Free Pick
The Indianapolis Colts get their chance at revenge on Monday night when they host their AFC South division rivals the Houston Texans. Read on for our pick of tonight’s big ESPN showdown.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Colts a 5.5-point favorite over the Texans on Monday Night Football. The over/under total for tonight’s game is currently 51 points.
Let’s get to our free pick.
The Texans enter this game winners of four of their first six contests. They’re 3-3 against the number this year, although they’re a perfect 2-0 on the road and covered in each of those wins (at Washington and at Oakland).
The Colts, meanwhile, are 4-2 overall and have covered in three of those six games with one push. They’re a perfect 2-0 at home this season and covered in each of those games, so something had to give between these two teams.
The Free Pick:
There’s no doubt the total is set high, but both of these teams light up the scoreboard and both may be forced to put the ball in the air early and often. The Colts know the Texans want to run the ball after Arian Foster took them to task in Week 1. But it’s not as if Houston doesn’t have the weapons in Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson to move the ball through the air. If Indy loads the box (why wouldn’t they after how good Foster looked in the opener?), the Texans have to take their shots downfield, which could result in some big plays. On the other side, the Colts are without Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie for this game, but Peyton Manning can make any receiver/tight end look like a Hall of Famer. Addai’s injury is the biggest loss for the Colts, who will put the game in Manning’s hands and let him destroy a horrendous Houston secondary.
The over is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams and 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Indianapolis. Our free pick is the over 51 in what should be a tight contest throughout.
2010 ESPN Monday Night Football Free Pick: TEXANS/COLTS OVER 51