It seems like Indianapolis should be a big favorite in the NFL week 9 Colts at Steelers free pick. After all, Frank Reich’s team is 5-2 on the season and visits a Pittsburgh team that is just 2-2 at home on the year. The Colts eked out a win vs. Denver last week, their 5th victory in the last 6 games. Pittsburgh has looked good winning 3 of the last 4, but the victories came against some pretty poor competition. Nonetheless, the Steelers are a -1 favorite on Sunday.
Colts the Popular Play Here?
Bettors have to love Indianapolis in the NFL week 9 Colts at Steelers free pick. After all, Indianapolis is just finding ways to win after being victorious in 5 of the last 6. Make no mistake, there have been some close calls over that span though. That includes a 2 point margin at Tennessee, beating Atlanta by 3, and then Denver by two last week. Are there some saying that the Colts 5-2 record is kind of a fluke?
Call it what you want – it’s tough to get wins in the NFL. This is especially true when your franchise QB abruptly retires seconds before the season starts. Jacoby Brissett has filled in for Andrew Luck nicely though. Brissett tossed 4 TD in week 7 to lead the Colts over Houston and has a 14:3 TD to INT ratio. Marlon Mack is also a nice presence in the back field, running for 132 yards in the Sunday night win at Kansas City in week 5. The Steelers do have a top 10 defense though.
Can the Colts hold their own against the Pittsburgh offense? More importantly, how will injuries play a role in the Indianapolis performance? T.Y. Hilton is already out until December with a calf injury. Quenton Nelson has a hip issue and Justin Houston is also questionable with a calf injury. Is this why the line seems a bit off for this game?
Pittsburgh the Play Here?
The Steelers are at home on Sunday, but bettors still like the visiting Colts. The line opened with Pittsburgh -2.5 but has since been bet to PIT -1. The Steelers seem to be righting the ship a bit with wins in 3 of the last 4. Those victories have come against Cincinnati, the Chargers, and Miami though. Is Pittsburgh’s turnaround a mirage?
The Steelers did get their starting QB Mason Rudolph back from concussion protocol last week against the Dolphins. He was just 20/36 but had 250+ yards and 2 TD. James Conner was the workhorse vs. Miami, toting the rock 23 times for 245 in that one. Conner did suffer an AC joint sprain in that game and is likely out in the NFL week 8 Colts at Steelers free pick.
There’s a bigger onus on the Pittsburgh defense on Sunday as their leading RB sits. The Steelers have held 3 of the last 4 opponents to 17 points or less but once again, the level of competition wasn’t the greatest. The Colts have won close games – the Steelers have beat bad teams. What gets the edge on Sunday?
NFL Week 9 Colts at Steelers Free Pick
The Colts are the better team in this one but are very banged up. That being said, the Steelers will produce little to no offense on Sunday with Conner out. Indianapolis gets the edge there.
Pick: Indianapolis Colts +1
