Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts Odds & Game Pick
Fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Indianapolis Colts host the Carolina Panthers, who are the losers of six straight games. In a must-win week for the Colts, will they be able to cover the large spread against a rookie making his first start?
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Panthers vs Colts Odds and Info
All odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Opening Lines: IND -6.5, O/U 46.0
- Moneyline: CAR: (+260) | IND: (-310)
- Spread: CAR: +7 (-115) | IND: -7 (-105)
- Total: 46 - Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN
- Start Time: 1 pm ET
- Coverage: FOX
Injuries
- Carolina Panthers: DE Mario Addison (Q), RB Reggie Bonnafon (Q), DT Gerald McCoy (Q), S Eric Reid (Q), LB Shaq Thompson (Q)
- Indianapolis Colts: CB Kenny Moore II (Q), CB Quincy Wilson (Q), S Rolan Milligan (Q), S Malik Hooker (Q), DE Denico Autry (Q)
View consensus picks from 100+ experts for the Panthers at Colts >>
Overview
The Carolina Panthers are making another switch at quarterback, giving rookie Will Grier his first NFL start. With the team losing six games in a row, the quarterback switch is not a surprise, as they now get to see if Grier can be the quarterback of the future. If the preseason was any indication of what we can expect to see Sunday, the Panthers could be in for a rough day. Through appearances across all four preseason games, Grier completed just 55.7 percent of his passes for 385 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Defensively, the Panthers have been unable to stop the run, allowing running backs to average 5.72 yards per carry over the past five games. If they are again unable to slow down the running game, they will be in for a long day against the Colts.
The injuries really stacked up and slowed down the Colts’ season, causing inconsistencies on both sides of the ball. This is a big reason for the four losses in a row, but still, the Colts still have a 4-3 record at home this season. After two tough matchups in a row for running backs, Indianapolis should look to get back to what they are built best to do, run the football. As discussed above, the Panthers’ run defense is terrible, so the Colts’ big offensive line should be licking their chops ahead of this matchup as lead back Marlon Mack looks to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the season (919). Defensively, the secondary for the Colts has been decimated by injuries, allowing an average of 311.4 passing yards over the past five weeks. Feeding off the home crowd’s energy and facing a rookie making his first start, the Colts’ defense couldn’t ask for a much better matchup this week.
Trends
- Carolina is 1-4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games.
- The total has hit the over in eight of Carolina’s last 10 games.
- Indianapolis is 10-3 straight up in its last 13 home games.
- Indianapolis is 1-6 straight up in its last seven games.
- The Panthers lead the all-time series with the Colts, 5-1.
- Last Meeting: November 2, 2015 - The Panthers defeated the Colts, 29-26, at Bank of America Stadium.
Prop Bet
All odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Alternate Total: Over 43.5 (-150)
This prop is just teasing the over/under to position ourselves in a better spot to hit given the inconsistencies of both teams. We discussed above how terrible the Panthers’ defense has been against running backs over the past five weeks and how porous this Colts’ secondary has been over the same time. This has led to an incredible average of 59.6 combined points allowed by these two teams over the past five games. The over has hit for the Colts in three of their past five games. The Panthers have had their totals his the over in eight of their last 10 games, and there is a good chance the pattern continues here.
Bottom Line
This Panthers’ defense is absolutely terrible, and they happen to be the worst against the run, which is the strength of this Colts team. With Carolina allowing Indy to run the ball with efficiency, this greatly reduces the risk of mistakes and turnovers. On the flip side, Will Grier did not look very good in the preseason, making a ton of mistakes. With the Colts expecting to win the turnover battle, I’m picking them to cover this spread at home.
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Zach Brunner is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Zach, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyFlurry.