Lions vs. Colts Preseason Prediction
Will the Lions or the Colts get the better of Sunday afternoon’s matchup in which there is no favorite?
Oddsmakers at sports book Bovada.lv have set the line as a pick’em between the Lions and the host Colts, while the over-under is set at 36. The line opened exactly where it stands now, while the over-under has dropped from 38.
DETROIT LIONS: There was a scare at camp this week when quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw for 4,327 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, came up limping and shaking his knee. But it was evidently a non-issue as he had only bumped knees with running back Ameer Abdullah. This illustrates why teams use a lot of caution with preseason games as veterans who know the system and can be trusted do not need a lot of extra game reps with the risk of injury always looming. Speaking of Abdullah, he is back from injuryand could be a huge key to the Lions establishing a run game that has been largely absent in recent years. One player to watch in the passing game is third round draft pick Kenny Golloday, who has drawn rave reviews and has the chance to be a solid weapon in Detroit’s offense. With Stafford unlikely to see much action beyond the opening couple series, passes will be thrown by backups Jake Rudock and Brad Kaaya.
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: With quarterback Andrew Luck out injured, the start will likely go to Scott Tolzien with Stephen Morris and Philip Walker also
seeing snaps. Luck is aiming to return for the regular season opener and his presence will be the determining factor in whether the Colts can field a competitive team. Young receivers to keep an eye on include Bug Howard and JoJo Natson, while rookie running backs Marlon Mack and Dalton Crossan could see extensive work with veteran Frank Gore among the most likely candidates to not suit up. This game is expected to be a defensive affair and the Colts have plenty of young talent to evaluate with 10 rookies showing up on the four-deep depth chart on that side of the ball. Some of them will be cut, but now is the time to prove their worth on the roster.
OUR PREDICTION: This is a tough one to call with the spread being a pick’em, but the Lions look like they have strength in numbers with their depth and that’s what counts in a game such as this.
SUNDAY NFL PRESEASON PREDICTION: LIONS PICK’EM