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Texans vs Colts: AFC South showdown
The Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts will collide in Week 18 with the AFC South title on the line at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Texans breakout season
The Houston Texans are on the verge of going back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They are third in the AFC South with a 9-7 record. Houston is 3-4 on the road and has won 2 of the last 3 games. Last week, the Texans won 26-3 against the Tennessee Titans. Rookie QB CJ Stroud came back from injury to throw for 213 yards on 75% pass completion. The Texans are 10th in the league with 344.6 yards per game, and they are 15th with 22.1 points per game. Defensively, Houston is ranked fourth in the league, allowing 88.5 rushing yards per game, and 13th, allowing 20.9 points per game.
The Colts are solid at home
The Indianapolis Colts have not made it past the wild-card game since 2020 and they are hoping to have another chance this year. The Colts are second in the AFC South with a 9-7 record. They are 4-4 at home and 7-3 against conference rivals. The Colts have won 2 of the last 3 games and are going into this one after a 23-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. QB Gardner Minshew threw for more than 200 yards for the fifth consecutive game. The Colts are 10th in the league with 23.6 points per game and are ranked 15th with 335.3 yards per game.
Betting Trends
The Colts are 9-7-0 ATS for the season, 4-4-0 ATS at home and 4-4-0 ATS after a win. They have won 5 of the last 7 games against Houston with one loss and one tie.
Player to watch
CJ Stroud is one of the main stars this season as the second pick of the last NFL draft took over the starting QB job in Houston. He had been very solid for the season before going down with an injury and missed two straight games after returning last week. Stroud is ninth in the league with 3,844 yards this season and is tied for 13th place with 21 touchdowns.
Injury Reports
Jonathan Greenard, Noah Brown, and Robert Woods are out for the Texans while Chirs Lammons is out for the Colts.
Prediction and Conclusion
This will be an intense game between the AFC South rivals, as the winner may take home the conference title while the loser will finish the season. The Texans are going into this one as a 1.5-point favorite, but winning in Indianapolis will not be easy at all. The Colts have won the last four games at Lucas Oil Stadium and are coming off a big win last week. They allowed only one sack and two QB hits against the Raiders. Gardner Minshew has been throwing consistently well, and RB Jonathan Taylor ran for 96 yards last week. CJ Stroud may be the hottest rookie in the league, but with him still not 100% healthy, the Colts will be able to cover the spread.
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