Colts vs Patriots NFL Week 5 Odds & Prediction

The Indianapolis Colts head to New England in prime time on Thursday to take on the Patriots. The Colts have had a disappointing season so far, posting just a 1-3 record in the return of Andrew Luck. They followed up a home loss to Cincinnati in the opener with an impressive 12-point win in Washington, but since then they have dropped a pair of close games, first at Philadelphia (in a game in which they were inside the 10-yard line with a chance to score and win in the waning seconds, but Luck took a sack) and then at home against Houston. The Patriots won their opener by seven over Houston before taking the first pair of consecutive double-digit losses in team history since 2005. They rebounded quite nicely this past Sunday, taking Miami to the woodshed by the tune of a 38-7 score. Check out our NFL odds & prediction for the latest meeting between these AFC rivals — an enmity that led to the DeflateGate controversy and continues to this day.

Colts vs Patriots NFL Week 5 Odds & Prediction

GM Chris Ballard on the first four games, Andrew Luck’s progression and more: https://t.co/phDn1qy6AY pic.twitter.com/QkLXHQ43xT

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 1, 2018

When: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 8:20pm ET Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA TV: FOX / NFL Network Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: Amazon Prime / NFL Live NFL Odds: New England -10, O/U 51.5

Why should you bet on the Colts?

The offense of the Indianapolis Colts has improved with each passing week. Luck is showing more and more confidence after a time away from football that included a kidney laceration and shoulder surgery that threatened to end his career. The Colts’ offensive line does not protect particularly well, and they don’t open a lot of holes, so it’s on Luck and the passing game to generate points — and they have. Putting up 34 points on Houston, as they did a week ago, is an impressive night given what Houston has on defense. However, Luck needs more help from his line if he is going to stand in against New England. If he can get some time, the Patriots’ secondary has plenty of holes for him to exploit. The Colts’ defense has been a weak link, as the team has allowed 25 points per game — and that includes a nine-point performance from Washington in the team’s only win. Margus Hunt is the top lineman in terms of sacks with four, but the team has just one interception (by Anthony Walker) thus far. They will need to generate some pressure on Tom Brady if they want to stay close, and they’ll want to cover better than they have been, after they got torched by Deshaun Watson a week ago.

Why should you put your money on the Patriots?

New England has won both of their games at home this season with both losses coming away from Gillette Stadium. The team showed both energy and precision against Miami in Week 4 that they did not show at all in their losses in Jacksonville and Detroit, and which they really didn’t show in sustained fashion in their opening win over Houston. No player has a bigger chip on his shoulder than Brady does, so seeing him look for ways to slice and dice the defense of the team whose complaints got him a four-game suspension after a lengthy legal battle is really a sports betting no-brainer. With Sony Michel emerging as a force in the backfield, Brady has a legitimate sense of balance in his offense that will make the Colts’ defense stay honest up front. On defense, the Patriots do have a lot of holes. They don’t rush the passer well, and their secondary is not all-world. However, they found the motivation to step up and take Miami out of their comfort zone, and given the animus that the team has to have with Indianapolis still at this point, it’s hard to see focus being an issue for the Pats this week either.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I love the pop that Andrew Luck has on the ball when he’s on, and I enjoyed watching him and the Colts developing as a team before he entered several years of setbacks from injuries. I hope that they return to push the Patriots, but I don’t see that happening this week, not with the defense that the Colts roll out there. I predict a final score of New England 34, Indianapolis 20.