Colts vs. Titans Odds and Prediction: Betting Line Moves in Tennessee’s Direction for Week 7 Clash

The Indianapolis Colts are scheduled to play the Titans in Tennessee in a battle for first place in the AFC South in NFL Week 7 action Sunday.

The Titans were offered as 1-point favorites on the look-ahead line hung a week and a half in advance of kickoff. Tennessee was -2 when betting reopened in Las Vegas on Sunday night, and according to odds closer to game time, the Titans are up to -2.5 at most sportsbooks. As of this Thursday post, PointsBet is dealing Titans -2.

Let’s take a look at the latest odds as well as our Colts vs. Titans prediction.

Colts vs. Titans Betting Lines: Point Spread, Total, Moneyline

Here are current odds on this divisional tussle from sports betting apps around the US.

Round 2

This is the second meeting this season between the division front-runners, with Tennessee (3-2 straight up and against the spread) having won 24-17 at Indy (3-2-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) three weeks ago as a 4-point underdog. Titans RB Derrick Henry, who won the 2019 and 2020 rushing titles, had a season-best 114 yards in that game.

The Titans also benefited by having a plus-three turnover edge. Teams with such an advantage are 13-0 SU/ATS this year.

Titans Solid Off a Bye

Last week, while the Colts (3-3 ATS) were rallying from an 11-point deficit to defeat visiting Jacksonville 34-27, the Titans were enjoying their bye week.

In the 2021 season, teams off such a break were 11-13-1 ATS vs. teams that played the week before. But in Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel’s tenure with the team that dates to 2018, the Titans are 4-0 SU/ATS off a bye in the regular season, including a 42-16 win over Buffalo two seasons ago as 3-point underdogs. They did, however, lose in the postseason last year after earning a first-round bye, falling to Cincinnati 19-16 as a 3.5-point pick.

While on the subject of byes, last season the Colts traveled to San Francisco as 3-point dogs to face a 49ers team off its week’s rest. Indy won, 30-18.

Also read: NFL Week 7 Survivor Picks

Colts Backfield Getting Healthy

The Week 4 meeting between these rivals was the most recent game played by Indy RB Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 rushing champ. He had only 42 yards on 20 carries (2.1 average) before exiting with an ankle injury. Taylor was a limited participant at practice Wednesday and is reportedly close to returning.

Nyheim Hines (concussion), who also didn’t dress last week, and third-teamer Deon Jackson, who left last Sunday’s game with a quad issue, were both full participants in Wednesday’s practice.

Bettors should monitor the health of these RBs as the week progresses.

Wagering Action: NFL Week 7 Betting Trends at DraftKings

Colts vs. Titans Analysis and Prediction

A key element of this game likely will be how well Tennessee deals with Indianapolis’ passing game.

The Titans, who give up the most air yards per outing in the league (287.6), didn’t do a very good job the first time the teams met, allowing Ryan to have his best game of the year (based on 109.8 passer rating). He averaged a season-high 9.6 yards on 37 passes. But he was sacked three times.

Last week, Ryan was even more prolific, going 42-for-58 for 389 yards, and even more amazingly, wasn’t sacked. It’s a far cry from a week earlier when Denver dragged him down six times and didn’t allow the Colts a TD, one of three games Ryan went down at least five times. But Indy did win in OT, 12-9.

As for who will prevail, it’s hard to pick in favor of a one-dimensional team that’s playing on the road. If the Titans can get to Ryan again a few times, that should result in some drive-crushing stops and tilt the game in Tennessee’s favor.

Forecast: Titans 26, Colts 20