We have passed the National Football League season’s midway point and head into Week 10 action with Thursday Night Football pitting the Indianapolis Colts (5-3, 2-2 away) against the Tennessee Titans (6-2, 4-1 home) for the top spot in the AFC South division.
A win for the Titans would add a cushion between them and the Colts, while a win for Indy would move them into a tie with Tennessee but owning the head-to-head tiebreaker. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. EST at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, leaving the home team Titans a 2-point favorite in the divisional contest.
What to Know – Indianapolis Colts
The Colts suffered their first home loss of the season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in a game where nothing went right for the host. Indy outgained the Ravens 339 yards to just 266, but was just 2-for-12 on 3rd down and committed two turnovers.
Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers finished 25-for-43 for 227 yards and one interception in the losing effort. The interception was Rivers’ seventh of the season. Rivers is 7-2 all-time against the Titans.
Running back Jordan Wilkins got a majority of the carries, rushing 11 times for 39 yards. Rookie Jonathan Taylor added six carries for 27 yards and the Colts lone offensive score.
Ten Colts players caught passes against the Ravens with Michael Pittman Jr. (4 catches, 56 yards) and Zach Pascal (5 catches, 55 yards) leading the group. This group should see more success against a Titans defense that is near the bottom of the league against the pass.
What to Know – Tennessee Titans
After a pair of losses, the Titans bounced back with a road victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The final score was closer than the game appeared, with the Titans holding the Bears scoreless until the fourth quarter.
Ryan Tannehill completed just 10-of-21 passes for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The completions total and passing yards were both season-lows for the quarterback.
Derrick Henry is second in the league with 843 yards on the ground. Henry rushed for just 68 yards against the Bears and was held out of the endzone for the first time since Week 2. Tractorcito now faces a Colts defense that is holding teams to a league-best 83.6 yards per game on the ground.
A.J. Brown has emerged as an elite wide receiver after missing some time with a leg injury early this season. Brown caught four passes for 101 yards and one touchdown and has now found the endzone in five-straight contests.
The Pick is In
Tennessee’s offense only mustered up 266 yards of total offense against the Bears on Sunday, and they will be up against another stout defense against the Colts. Tennessee has played a handful of close contests this season, and this one will be another one of those.
Both offenses are efficient, with the Colts owning the superior defense. Indy should keep Henry and the Titans offense in check, and we anticipate a marquee victory for Rivers and company.
The Pick:
Indianapolis +2
