Carrying the Offense
The Indianapolis Colts love to run the football, and having someone like running back Jonathan Taylor in the backfield helps. So far this season, he has 87 rushes for 472 yards (5.4 yards per carrying) with four touchdowns on the ground while adding 15 receptions for 210 yards (14 yards per catch) with a receiving touchdown. In his last game against the Houston Texans, Taylor finished with 14 rushes for 145 yards (10.4 yards per run) with a pair of rushing touchdowns as well as a 13-yard catch. If he can continue to run effectively, it will do wonders for the Colts.
This season, the Indianapolis Colts have been a good defensive team as they are giving up 21.8 points per game. In their previous game against the Houston Texans, they allowed three points on 353 total yards of offense (229 passing, 124 rushings). The Colts need to get better at stopping third and fourth down attempts as they allowed the Texans to go 9-of-17 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down. If the defense can improve there, it will help them against tougher teams.
Taking That Next Step
The San Francisco 49ers have been more pass-heavy this season, and wide receiver DeeBo Samuel has been doing well. So far this season, he has 31 receptions for 548 yards (17.7 yards per catch) with three touchdowns while adding six rushes for 22 yards (3.7 yards per attempt) and a rushing touchdown. In his last game against the Arizona Cardinals, Samuel finished with three catches on nine targets for 58 yards (19.3 yards per reception). If he can be better here, it will help the 49ers’ offense get going.
This season, the San Francisco 49ers have been a good defensive team as they are allowing 23.8 points per game. In their previous game against the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers gave up 17 points on 304 total yards of offense (210 passing, 94 rushings). The Cardinals went 3-of-10 on third down attempts throughout the game. If the defense can continue to be a plus, it will help San Fran compete for a playoff spot.
Who to Bet
I don’t like having question marks going into a bet, and Jimmy Garoppolo is returning from injury while Trey Lance is out. The Colts have found their way and are 4-2 against the spread this season compared to 1-4 against the spread for San Francisco. Go with the Indianapolis Colts to cover the spread on the road here.