Saints vs. Colts Point Spread: NFL Week 8 Odds, Prediction
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Nik Kowalski
Both clubs are going through two-game losing streaks, with the Saints’ pair of losing both coming at the hands of AFC South opponents. The Saints now get a couple extra days to face off with their next AFC South foe in Indianapolis, as New Orleans last took the field on Thursday Night Football falling to Jacksonville 31-24. Indianapolis recently dropped a 39-38 thriller versus Cleveland in Gardner Minshew’s third start of the year.
Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium gets going at 1 p.m. EDT with oddsmakers giving New Orleans the slightest lean as a road favourite, currently sitting at -1 on the spread with the total at 43.5 on the NFL odds. But on the moneyline, you’ll likely see this game as a pick’em.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
With 76 points allowed in their last two showings, Colts opponents have nearly hit the over themselves. The over has now connected in seven of Indianapolis’ last nine games and is 3-1 when they play at home this season. But something’s got to give as the Saints are 6-1 to the under this season with all four of their road games finishing under the total. Indianapolis is third-worst this season with 27.3 points allowed per game, but New Orleans Is under 20 points a game on offence.
Head-to-head, the Saints are 9-2 in their last 11 meetings with the Colts. They’ve only played three times since 2011 though, but the results should raise some eyebrows: 34-7 New Orleans in 2019, 27-21 New Orleans in 2015, and 62-7 New Orleans in 2011. The Saints team total for this Sunday is at 20.5, FYI.
New Orleans Saints
In 2023–24 the Saints rank third (25.1) in completions per game but then 26th (6.3) in yards per pass attempt. They are one of eight NFL teams throwing for under one touchdown a game, but only two teams throw more times per game than they do. The point here is Derek Carr’s 65 completions for 654 yards and two touchdowns isn’t all that beneficial at the end of the day.
Once again running back Alvin Kamara was New Orleans’ runaway leader in receptions with 12 catches for 91 yards in their loss last week. This brings up another issue with their passing output – the style of production is especially worrisome when it’s not resulting in victories.
So if Carr and co. can’t figure out a game plan that doesn’t just result in completions and minimal touchdowns, New Orleans may require serious changes before their season’s lost.
Indianapolis Colts
Scoring 38 points usually means the quarterback had a successful afternoon, but that wasn’t necessarily the case for Gardner Minshew. Indianapolis’ safety blanket turned QB1 for the remainder of the season committed four turnovers in the one-point loss to Cleveland, and three of those turnovers turned into Cleveland scores.
The two big positives for Indianapolis have to be running back Jonathan Taylor and rookie receiver Josh Downs. Taylor accumulated 120 total yards and found the end zone for the first time in three games this season. Downs has officially broken out with a career-best five-catch, 125-yard showing in which he also scored for the second straight week. The Colts will give up a ton of points, but if these weapons come to play clean football then they can stay in ball games.
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IND