Indianapolis Colts NFL Betting Lines - Football Odds

Indianapolis Colts NFL Betting Online

Ever since Andrew Luck's surprising retirement at the beginning of the 2019 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts have struggled to find stability at quarterback. Consequently, the franchise has only made the playoffs once in the past five seasons, with that lone appearance ending in a narrow 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2020 Wild Card Round, with Philip Rivers at the helm. Upper management seemed to have addressed this issue at the start of last season by drafting Anthony Richardson with the fourth pick in the first round, with the rookie impressing immediately with his dual-threat capabilities. However, the promising rookie quarterback's season was cut short after just four games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. Gardner Minshew filled in and kept the offense functional, but Richardson is viewed as the key to the franchise's future success. Reports from OTAs indicate that Richardson is nearing 95 percent health, suggesting he will likely be under center when the Colts face the Texans in the first of two crucial AFC South matchups in the 2024-25 NFL betting season.

Even with the backup playing for most of the year, the Colts' offense thrived under their first-year head coach. This success wasn't surprising given Shane Steichen's previous achievements with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he called the shots for a potent offense with Jalen Hurts at the helm. The Colts' offense ended the season ranked No. 15 overall, averaging over 23 points per game (No. 10). The running game was strong behind a solid offensive line, with Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss combining for over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, the attack lacked a true deep threat to stretch opposing defenses. GM Chris Ballard aimed to address this in the NFL Draft by selecting Texas' Adonai Mitchell, who averaged 15.4 yards per reception for the Longhorns last season. While the defense received reinforcements after a down year, the Colts' success in 2024 will ultimately hinge on the offense taking another step forward in what promises to be one of the more competitive divisions in the league.

NFL Betting Lines

Only six times did the Colts' defense hold an opponent to 20 or fewer points throughout the 2023-24 NFL betting season. The end result proved to be a huge moneymaker for total bettors with the over cashing in 11 of the team’s 17 played games. Despite having a top-10 scoring offense, this defensive weakness proved too costly, ultimately preventing the team from making the playoffs after losing a crucial Week 18 game against the Texans. Acknowledging the problem, upper management focused heavily on the stop unit during the offseason, using five of its nine NFL Draft picks on defensive players. The defense particularly needed help in the trenches, as they allowed opponents to rush for over 123 yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry. Only Carolina, Seattle, and the New York Giants gave up more rushing touchdowns than the Colts 1.3 per game.

Despite these issues, the Colts' front office couldn't pass on UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu at No. 15. While Latu will assist against the run, his primary role will be to enhance the pass rush and put pressure on AFC South quarterbacks that come in the excelled forms of Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, and Will Levis. Since ranking second in the NFL for sacks accrued in 2021 with 33, the Colts' pass rush has declined, recording only 24 last season and 21 the year prior. Latu is expected to bolster the defensive front alongside DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Additionally, Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini were added to provide more depth along the offensive line, while the secondary welcomed three new members. However, the first two picks, Latu and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, are expected to make significant impacts, helping to improve both sides of the ball compared to last year's 9-8 SU and ATS team.

After falling short of expectations in the previous two seasons under the former coaching staff, the Colts exceeded oddsmaker’s outlook last season by winning nine games, easily surpassing the modest 6.5-game season win total. The bar for 2024 has been raised to 8.5 wins, though the heavier -116 juice on the under suggests a more cautious outlook from the NFL futures market. Current odds at the online sportsbook predict another third-place finish in the AFC South, behind the Jaguars and the potentially back-to-back winning Texans. Because they lost the tiebreaker to the Jaguars in last year’s final division standings, the Colts benefit from a third-place schedule, which Sharp Football Analysis ranks as the seventh easiest based on opponents' current win total odds.

However, the standalone matchups against the Steelers, @Broncos, and @Giants will be challenging, as all three teams have significantly improved from a year ago. Additionally, facing the NFC North and AFC East won't be easy, with six of the eight teams in those divisions currently favored to make the playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts Schedule & Results

Since 1995 the Colts have been one of the most successful franchises in pro football. Indianapolis has missed the playoffs 11 times since then. Of course, much of that success was due to Peyton Manning, who led them to two Super Bowl appearances with one win. Indeed, Lucas Oil Stadium is the House that Peyton Built. The post-Manning era in Indianapolis has only seen the Colts punch a ticket to the postseason five of the last 13 years with the team failing to do so in each of the last three.

Indianapolis Colts Past Seasons (2000)

Access live betting lines and NFL Betting Lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform.