Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts Prediction: An easy away first win for the Colts

The NRG Stadium season opening features the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Houston Texans. The contest on September 11th has a 20:00 start time. The Colts have made numerous roster upgrades to get back on track. As a result of bringing in DE Yannick Ngakoue and CB Stephon Gilmore, they bolstered an already formidable defense. The Texans had a rough season, going 4-13, and appear to be heading into yet another learning year. There are some intriguing items among their offerings, though. Following a strong preseason, Davis Mills has been named the starting quarterback.

It's no secret that the Texans' 4-13 record last season was mainly attributable to their inability to run the ball effectively. In 16 of their 17 games, the Houston Astros were listed as underdogs. The Texans lost their last game of the 2021 season, a 28-25 decision against the Titans. Davis Mills finished the game 23 for 33 for 301 yards and three touchdowns, suitable for a quarterback rating of 128.5. No passes he attempted were intercepted, and he averaged 9.12 yards per completion. Johnson ran the ball for 28 yards, good for 5.6 yards per run, as Houston won. The rushing average for Houston was 3.0 yards per carrying, and the Texans gained 64 yards on 21 carries. However, their pre-season performance was top-notch, winning their last three consecutive matches.

After starting the year 9-6, the Colts went 6-1 from November 4 through December 25. However, the Colts' last-gasp losses prevented them from making the playoffs. In 2021, the Indianapolis Colts averaged 149.4 running yards per game, good for second in the National Football League. The year ended with a 9-8 record for the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts' final game of the 2016 season was a loss against the Jaguars by 26-11. With 15 carries for 77 yards, Jonathan Taylor was the Colts' leading rusher. The Colts allowed 31 carries for 101 yards, which works out to 3.3 yards per carrying. With a completion percentage of 71.9%, Indianapolis allowed 23 passes to be completed on 32 attempts for 217 yards. They had 53 plays for 233 total yards. For a total of 94 yards on 18 carries, or an average of 5.2 yards per carrying, the Indianapolis Colts were victorious. Despite a disappointing preseason, we think they can pull out a victory in this encounter.

Last year, Indianapolis swept Houston with game scores of 31-3 and 31-0. From 2002 on, Indy has held a 32-9 series advantage over Houston. The Colts have won seven of their previous eight meetings against the Texans against the spread. The Under has won the last five games in the series. The same outcome will likely happen in this match. Despite the Texans' impressive preseason performance, we're sticking with our prediction that Indianapolis will cover the -8 spread and win the game.

• First Score method Touchdown for 2.45
• Indianapolis Colts -7 for 1.72
• Total 2 over 27 for 1.80