Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts Prediction – Week 18
![](https://www.bettingbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CJ-Stroud-780x470.webp)
Week 18 of the NFL season is going to begin on Saturday, and there is a huge game in the AFC South slated for Saturday night. The Houston Texans are going to be visiting the Indianapolis Colts and the winning team is going to get into the playoffs in the AFC.
Houston has been a massive surprise all season long as they are coming into this game with an overall record of 9-7. The Texans picked up a huge 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17, and that has set them up for this big game.
Indianapolis has been a hard team to figure out this season, but they are coming into this game with a 9-7 record as well. The Colts have gone 3-2 in their last five games, and that speaks to just how inconsistent this team can be.
The Houston Texans are slim 1.5-point betting favorites on the road ahead of this Week 18 matchup.
Stroud Helping Texans Score
The Houston Texans are coming into this game with a ton of momentum on offense as they are averaging 22.1 points per game this season. That was not expected from this Texans team ahead of the season, but quarterback C.J. Stroud has simply been that good.
Stroud has thrown for 3,844 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, and his best attribute has been taking care of the basketball. This Texans team is still going to have to find more balance on offense, but they could have a big game in this one.
The defense of the Texans has been strong as well this season, as they are allowing just 20.9 points per game this season. If Houston is able to stop the run then they could put up a very low number in this game.
Colts Have to Get Stops
The Indianapolis Colts continue to play great at times, but then they fall back down pretty hard as well. Indianapolis is allowing 24.5 points per game this season, and that is something that they are going to need to figure out.
Stopping the run has been the biggest issue for the Colts this season, and they can’t continue to allow 127 rushing yards per game. Indianapolis has been able to score close to 24 points per game, but they can’t beat the Texans in a shootout.
Playing at home should provide this Colts team with some momentum in this game, and that could allow them to set up a short field for the offense at times.
Texans Complete Surprising Season
Not much was expected of the Houston Texans this season, but they have continued to surprise at every single turn. Houston has been gettin the job done with offense this season, but the defense has started playing well also.
Indianapolis just hasn’t been able to find any consistency on either side of the ball, and they are going to struggle to slow down C.J. Stroud. The Colts will be able to keep this game close, but ultimately they can’t score enough points.
Bet on the Houston Texans -1.5 as they are going to pick up a massive road win in Week 18 over the Indianapolis Colts.