Raiders vs. Colts Point Spread: NFL Week 17 Odds, Prediction
The Colts have now lost two of three, capped by last week’s 29-10 defeat in Atlanta, but remain in control of the No. 7 seed in the AFC, and in a three-way tie with Jacksonville and Houston in the race for the top of the divisional standings. The Raiders have kept their flickering playoff hopes alive with impressive victories in their past two outings, and have also earned the win in each of their past three visits to Indianapolis.
Winners in their past two home contests, and five of seven overall, Indianapolis leads the way as a 3.5-point favourite on the Raiders vs Colts odds. The Raiders sit at +150 on the NFL moneyline, and the total is pegged at 42.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Raiders enjoyed a tough 3-5 SU and ATS start to the season that cost Josh McDaniels his job as head coach. However, the team has turned things around under new bench boss Antonio Pierce, winning four of their past seven while going 5-1-1 ATS. Now enjoying a 2-0 run that has featured a 63-21 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers, followed by last week’s 20-14 upset win in Kansas City, Las Vegas is playing far more than just a spoiler role this weekend. Indeed, the Raiders sit just one game back of the four teams battling for the AFC No. 7 seed, including Indy. But with just one win in six games, they still must prove they have put their recent road woes behind them.
The Colts squandered a golden opportunity to seize sole possession of first place in the AFC South with last weekend’s chastening loss in Atlanta, and have now dropped two of their past three contests. However, Indy currently rides a two-game win streak at home, and has covered in four of five at Lucas Oil Stadium. Maintaining consistent scoring production has emerged as a concern, with the Colts scoring 14 or fewer points in three of their past six games. That is an issue that could be further impacted by injuries among the Colts receiving corps.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have been stingy on defence and opportunistic on the attack with Antonio Pierce at the helm. Las Vegas surrendered over 28 points per game in its final three outings with McDaniels as coach, and has seen that number drop to just 15.3 points per game through Pierce’s first seven games as head coach. The defence also played a starring role in last week’s upset win over the Chiefs, accounting for the Raiders’ touchdowns. That was just fine with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who completed just nine passes for 62 yards last weekend, and failed to find the end zone in two of his past three starts.
Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor scored the Colts’ only touchdown of the day in his return from injury last weekend. And with the Indy receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and DJ Montgomery, and rusher Zack Moss all nursing injuries, the star running back could be looking forward to a busy day in the Colts backfield on Sunday. But that might be easier said than done against a Raiders rush defence that has given up just three total scoring runs and an average of 101 rushing yards over the past seven games.