Who is favored in Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts?

Indianapolis Colts are favored on the moneyline.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

·Sun Oct 18·1:00 PM ET·Fox·Indianapolis, IN

By JR·2 min read

Titans(0-5)

Colts(2-3)

Sunday 10/181:00 PM

TLDR: Tennessee hasn't won a game yet and scored 3 points in its last one. Indianapolis is 2-3 and just gave up 34 in Pittsburgh. One of these AFC South teams gets to feel better about itself on Sunday, October 18, at Lucas Oil Stadium.

SUN 10/18, SUN OCT 18, 1:00 PM · Week 6 Fox

Titans

(0-5)

LLLLL

Colts

(2-3)

LWWLL

Tennessee arrives 0-5 with a struggling offense and a banged-up secondary. Indianapolis is coming off a 34-22 loss in Pittsburgh where it gave up big plays and couldn't run the ball. The game likely comes down to whether the Colts can protect Daniel Jones and run Jonathan Taylor against a Titans defense missing several defensive backs, and whether Cam Ward gets enough protection to keep it close. The board has the Colts as clear home favorites.

Tennessee Titans

Lost by 4 to Philadelphia and 6 at Baltimore
Jeffery Simmons, Franklin-Myers active on the front
Facing a Colts pass rush without Arden Key
58 points in 5 games, never above 20
Ward sacked 4 times, OT Crenshaw-Dickson inactive
Secondary gutted: Flott, Winston, Hooker, Jones, Williams

Indianapolis Colts

Taylor had 95 yards and 2 TDs in London
Tyler Warren had 7 catches for 83 at Pittsburgh
Indoors at home vs an offense that can't score
Allowed 34 and 2 long Warren TDs to Pittsburgh
Taylor held to 45 yards on 15 carries
Key, Mallory on IR; Slayton out last week

Start with the quarterbacks, because both offenses run through them. Cam Ward went 23-of-36 for 170 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in the 26-3 home loss to Houston. He was sacked 4 times and under pressure all afternoon, and Will Anderson Jr. had 3 of those sacks by himself. Daniel Jones threw 44 times in Pittsburgh for 267 yards. That's a lot of passing in a game where Jonathan Taylor got only 15 carries for 45 yards, and it tells you the Colts were chasing the game.

Tennessee's problems go well beyond the quarterback. Starting OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson was inactive again, and one clip from the Houston game showed Ward getting hung out to dry by his tackle. The secondary is coming apart: Cor'Dale Flott left the Texans game with a chest injury, Kevin Winston Jr. was questionable to return with a quad, Amani Hooker and Jaylon Jones were inactive, and Joshua Williams is on IR with a pectoral. Indy has holes of its own, with Arden Key on IR (hamstring), Will Mallory on IR (thumb), and Darius Slayton ruled out against Pittsburgh with a knee.

The scores tell the Titans' story. They have 58 points in 5 games and haven't topped 20 once. The Colts have scored 124 but allowed 138, and in Pittsburgh Jaylen Warren took one catch 80 yards and one run 50 yards for touchdowns. Indy opened as a clear home favorite indoors, which isn't surprising given how Tennessee looked against Houston.

The Colts' 2 wins came back to back: a 19-17 win over Houston and a 30-13 win over Washington in London. In that London game Taylor ran for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries and Spencer Shrader went 3-for-3 on field goals. That's the formula Indy wants against a defensive front with Jeffery Simmons in the middle: lean on Taylor and let Tyler Warren pile up catches underneath. Warren had 7 catches for 83 yards against the Steelers. The open question is whether the run game shows up, because 45 yards on 15 carries won't get it done.

For Tennessee, it's simpler: keep Ward upright long enough for Calvin Ridley, Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate to do something. Two turnovers and a 14-0 Houston second half sank them last week. The Titans' 5 losses include a 4-point loss to Philadelphia and a 6-point loss in Baltimore, so they've stayed close against good teams. They just haven't scored enough to finish any of those games. Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

Live Odds