Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans: Week 2 Odds, Lines, Picks & Best Bets

• Who: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
• When: Sunday, Sept. 17 (Week 2)
• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• Where: NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Betting Odds Summary

• Spread: Colts +1 (-110), Texans -1 (-110)
• Moneyline: Colts -105, Texans -115
• Total: Over/Under 39.5 (-110/-110)

Odds from Bet365 Sportsbook. Subject to change.

The 2023-24 NFL schedule presented these AFC South teams with a tough Week 1 opponent, and both teams lost, as expected.

There are other similarities between these two rival teams. Neither came into this year with Super Bowl aspirations after drafting their franchise quarterback last spring. The Houston Texans took C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State, while the Indianapolis Colts took Anthony Richardson out of Florida. 

Richardson looked solid in his NFL debut, throwing for 223 yards and a passing touchdown to go with 40 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, Stroud struggled against a much stingier defense in the Baltimore Ravens. He was under duress for most of the game, throwing the ball 44 times for 242 yards and no touchdowns while getting sacked five times.

Both the Colts and Texans’ NFL futures odds are at the bottom of the table where they rightfully belong, but they could be among the top tier in a few years with these young quarterbacks leading the way.

Another similarity between these two teams is that they hired first-time NFL head coaches—- Shane Steichen for the Colts and DeMeco Ryans for the Texans.

Steichen was with Philadelphia before signing in Indianapolis and was a key contributor in helping lead an Eagles team that was excellent in every offensive category last year. He was also a catalyst in transforming the game of quarterback Jalen Hurts. Ryans was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco last year, where the 49ers were the top defense in the league.

Both coaches made a noticeable impact on their teams in Week 1. Steichen showed that his Run Pass Option (RPO) offense can work with a quarterback who can make plays with his arm and legs. Richardson is a work in progress, that’s for sure, but he had the Colts in the lead to start the fourth quarter against an outstanding Jacksonville Jaguars team. 

For the Texans, they kept Lamar Jackson uncomfortable for most of the game, holding him to 169 yards passing and no touchdowns. They also recorded four sacks and picked off Jackson once, showing the great tackling that Ryans demands from his defense. Third-overall pick Will Anderson showed why his head coach loves him, contributing four solo tackles and a sack in his NFL debut.

While it’s unlikely that either team will finish above .500 this season, both showed in Week 1 that they will not be an easy win for any team. 

Moneyline

The line has shifted from the Colts as the road moneyline favorite to the home Texans. Indianapolis is plus money at +100, while Houston is -120.

Both teams had tough matchups last week, but the Colts showed a little more fight than the Texans. Houston was playing its season opener on the road in a challenging environment, but there seemed to be many more growing pains for the Texans. 

Running back Zack Moss returns from an injury and will be a considerable boost to Indy’s offense as well.

The Texans’ defense is good, but the Colts have two of the best defensive players in the NFL in Shaq Leonard and DeForest Buckner, a big reason we are taking Indianapolis on the road.

Spread

Online betting sites set the spread at just one point for Houston as the slight home favorite, meaning this division rivalry game could go either way.

While we expect this to be a close game, the Colts have the edge with their talent on the field. The return of Moss will be a massive factor for Indianapolis, which only mustered 25 rushing yards from its three active backs last week.

Over/Under

The Colts game last week was one of just a few games that hit the Over because the Jaguars blew it open late. However, both rookie quarterbacks will have tough days against stingy defenses in a division matchup this week.

We expect growing pains as both offenses will be limited here, making the Under viable.

Same-Game Parlay

• Anthony Richardson Anytime Touchdown (+160)
• Dameon Pierce Anytime Touchdown (+175)
• Michael Pittman Over 50.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
• Colts Moneyline (+100)

Combined Odds: +2500

Odds subject to change.

We’re taking the Colts to win this game, so we formed our same-game parlay around that.

If you have yet to learn who Anthony Richardson is, you soon will as he becomes one of the rising stars in the NFL. Richardson scored a rushing touchdown in his NFL debut last week, and despite taking a brutal hit late into that game, he is expected to play Sunday.

We’re also taking Indy’s moneyline thanks to a playmaker like Michael Pittman Jr. on the outside. Pittman Jr. caught eight balls on 11 targets and took a screen pass 39 yards for a touchdown. His size and explosiveness are similar to that of A.J. Brown in Philadelphia. At 50.5 receiving yards, Pittman’s receiving yards prop is too tempting to pass up.

The final leg of the parlay is for Dameon Pierce to score a touchdown. Pierce is one of the toughest running backs in the league. Last week, he had just 11 rush attempts, which is far from enough for him. New offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik may have abandoned the run against Baltimore, but in a close contest, expect Pierce to get 20+ carries and to find the end zone.

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images