The Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1 SU, 5-7 ATS) have been on a roller coaster ride, to put it mildly. They have gone through the benching of a veteran quarterback who was once the NFL’s MVP. They fired their offensive coordinator. They fired their head coach. And then, they hired a coach with no experience at the college or professional level.
Even through all of that, they were still within reach of a division title. But that has kind of slipped through their fingertips, and now they’re just trying to make the best of a bad situation.
On Sunday night, BetOnline customers will be able to see them in action against the Dallas Cowboys (8-3 SU, 7-4 ATS) in a game that begins at 8:20 PM Eastern time at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Here are the NFL Sunday night betting odds on the game, with Dallas favored by double digits:-
Dallas Cowboys -10.5 (-108)
Indianapolis Colts +10.5 (-112)
Over 44.5 Points -112
Under 44.5 Points -108
Matt Ryan,who had a shoulder injury already, was put on the shel. Because of his contract situation, where the Colts stood to lose a lot of money if he got injured again, they really didn’t have any intention of putting him back in the lineup. But when owner Jim Irsay reached out and got Jeff Saturday to be the interim head coach, he knew the former All-Pro center needed all the help he could get. So he agreed to let Saturday bring Ryan back, which means second-year man Sam Ehlinger will have to wait a little longer.
Ryan has had his moments, but this is still a rather stagnant Indianapolis offense. Much of that can be attributed to the below-average play of the offensive line, which he has not supported the ground game the way it should and allowed Ryan to get sacked more than any other NFL quarterback at the time of his benching.
Their situation now is that they are starting rookie third-round draft choice Bernhard Raimenn at left tackle, and on the right side is Matt Pryor, who is graded as one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL by the respected analytics site Pro Football Focus.
Not only has Ryan had to operate behind this line, Ehlinger, in one of his starts, got sacked nine times. And Jonathan Taylor, who led the league in rushing last season, has averaged just over four yards per carry, which means he has been only a minor factor this season.
Their dilemma on this particular evening is that Dallas, led by the monstrous Micah Parsons, leads the NFL in pressure rate from its pass rush. Since Ryan is considered particularly immobile, the rate of sacks has a considerable chance of jumping and pushing the betting odds to a much higher level at NFL betting sites. And it should be mentioned that the Cowboys have the highest sack rate in the league as it is.
Gus Bradley was passed over for the interim coaching jo. Still, the former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, who was also the defensive coordinator in Seattle, has done more than a commendable job directing this stop unit, which has experienced injuries, most notably to All-Pro linebacker Shaq Leonard. But right now, Indianapolis is in the top ten in terms of yards allowed per drive and some other categories. And it’s been extremely difficult, naturally, for them to operate with as much time as they have had to spend on the field.
They have kept this team in games where they might have lost touch. And that might work a little for them here. At least the Colts have a hope of chewing up some clock because the Cowboys have allowed 4.7 yards per rushing attempt. But for them to do that, they can’t fall behind too far too early.
Because of their own offensive uncertainty, we think this will drive the total UNDER the 45.5 points that are currently posted.
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