Coming off a 27-24 Week 2 loss to the Rams, the Indianapolis Colts head to Tennessee still looking for their first win of the season and unsure if quarterback Carson Wentz will be in the lineup.  The Titans should be brimming with confidence following their 33-30 overtime win against the Seahawks last Sunday as they look to improve to 2-1 on the year.

Tennessee is a 5.5-point favourite to win on the NFL odds, with a total of 48.0.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

These teams met twice last year, with the Colts winning 34-17 in Tennessee in Week 10 and the Titans winning 45-26 in Indianapolis in Week 12.  That 2020 season split hasn’t influenced Sports Interaction bettors, with almost 80 per cent of early action taking the Titans.  The total has gone above the number in three straight games between these teams and just under 70 per cent of action is taking the Over for this game.

The Colts have done well in Tennessee, winning eight of their last nine road games against the Titans.  They’ve covered in one of their two games this season, which mimics their tossup 8-8 record against the spread last season.  Indy was a dog of at least 5.5 points once in 2020 and covered the spread.  They hit the Over nine times last year and have gone above the number in six of their last seven road games.

Tennessee has jumped out to some solid starts to the season over the last couple of years, winning five of their last six games in September.  They’re 1-1 ATS so far this season, but they weren’t a great cover option in 2020 and finished the year 7-9 ATS.  The Titans were 3-3 ATS in 2020 when they played as at least 5.5-point favourites.  They’ve split the Over/Under in 2021, but they hit the Over 12 times last year.  The total finished above 48.0 in 13 of Tennessee’s 2020 games.

Indianapolis Colts

Easily the biggest factor in this game is the status of Wentz.  Indy’s big offseason addition watched the final two possessions of last week’s game from the sidelines after spraining both of his ankles.  Wentz finished the game 20-for-31 passing, throwing for 247 yards, one touchdown and an interception.  There’s been no real update on his status, but if he can’t play, second-year quarterback Jacob Eason will likely start.  In his first regular season action ever, Eason was 2-for-5 passing in relief of Wentz last week, finishing with 25 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception.  He’s never started an NFL game and didn’t play at all in his rookie year.

The Colts are off to their first 0-2 start in four years under head coach Frank Reich and they could be looking at their first 0-3 start since 1998.  A big reason for Indy’s early struggles is a failure to convert in the red zone.  They’ve struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone in both of their games this year and they were stopped four straight times on the one-yard line early against the Rams.  The offensive line has been brutal, giving up six sacks and 21 quarterback hits in two games.  If the Colts can’t improve their quarterback protection, it could be a long game for whoever ends up under centre come Sunday.

Tennessee Titans

Once again it was reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Derrick Henry, who carried the load in Tennessee’s win last week.  Henry carried the ball 35 times, rushing for 182 yards and three touchdowns, including two fourth-quarter scores.  That performance will likely be a staple of the Titans’ offence this season with a quarterback like Ryan Tannehill at the helm.  Tannehill was 27-for-40 throwing last week, passing for 347 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.  The former Dolphins quarterback finished with a strong drive, going 7-for-7 passing, with six of the seven passes going to running backs.  Tannehill’s favourite receiving target throughout the game was Julio Jones, who finished with 128 yards on six catches.

Keep an eye on injury news regarding the offensive line as it gets closer to Sunday.  Left tackle Taylor Lewan was a late scratch last week after injuring his knee in pregame warmups.  It doesn’t look like a serious injury, but there’s been no update on his availability for this week.  Lewan also suffered a knee injury last October, which ended his season early.  Left guard Roger Saffold III is dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to leave in the first half last week.  Saffold briefly returned, but left for good in the third quarter.  Like Lewan’s injury, Saffold doesn’t look like he’s dealing with anything serious, but there’s been no update on his status for Sunday.

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Colts vs. Titans?