The Indianapolis Colts will travel to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots on Thursday night. This game will kickoff week five of the NFL season. Both the Patriots and Colts sit outside the playoff picture in the AFC at the moment.
The Indianapolis Colts are off to a 1-3 start to this season, and have struggled on defense this season. The Patriots come into this game with a 2-2 record, but have looked more like themselves in recent weeks. The Colts are a massive 10.5 point underdog against the Patriots in this game.
Luck Impressing For Colts
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is off to a terrific start this season, despite the teams 1-3 record. Luck has completed 67.2 percent of his passes this season,and has compiled 1,126 yards through the air. He has also thrown nine touchdowns this season but has been sacked nine times. Luck will be without his top receiver, T.Y. Hilton in this game after Hilton was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The Colts defense has struggled so far this season, and are giving up 25.0 points per game, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard has been impressive for the team, recording four sacks through the team’s first four games. Leonard and the rest of the Colts defense will try to get some pressure on Tom Brady in this game.
Brady Looking For More Passing Yards
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been solid for the team this season, but has not been racking up the passing yards like he usually does. Brady is averaging just 220.3 passing yards per game, which ranks in the bottom third of the NFL. New England will face a struggling Colts secondary in this game, and Brady should be able to find his receivers for big plays in this game.
Brady and the Patriots passing game will receive a huge boost in this game with the addition of Julian Edelman. Edelman missed the entire 2017 season with an ACL injury and was suspended for the first four games of this season. When healthy, Edelman was the Patriots top receiver, and has the ability to make big plays. Newly acquired Josh Gordon is also expected to play a bigger role in this matchup.
Patriots Win, Colts Cover
The Colts offense has the ability to put up points in this game, but they will need to keep Andrew Luck upright. Look for the Patriots to put a ton of pressure on Luck in this game, knowing that he doesn’t have the ability to move around in the pocket.
The Patriots looked dominant in their week four win over the Dolphins, but Tom Brady is starting to show his age. Getting Edelman back should be a huge boost, but the Patriots offense has been too inconsistent this season. Look for the Patriots to win this game at home, but the Colts will keep it close. Bet the Colts +10.5 in this game.
