NFL Week 3 Odds, Picks & Predictions: Chiefs vs. Colts (2022)
After two weeks of the season, there have been plenty of teams that have met expectations and those that have disappointed. The matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts highlights two teams that fit both criteria.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts (+5.5)
The Colts are arguably the most disappointing team of the young NFL season. They come in winless after two weeks against the Texans and Jaguars, two teams they were favored to win against. The Colts looked to avenge a Week 18 loss against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in Jacksonville. Instead, they were dominated from the start en route to a shutout loss that saw Matt Ryan throw three interceptions. The swap of Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan has not paid dividends yet for a team that thought they were a QB away from Super Bowl contention.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, have picked up where they left off, albeit with Tyreek Hill now in Miami. Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL in passer rating and averages close to 300 yards passing through two weeks. It remains to be seen if the absence of Hill’s playmaking ability will impact the Chiefs in the playoffs, but for the regular season, this should be the same Chiefs we are used to. The Colts have their hands full with a team currently sitting second on the odds board to win the Super Bowl.
Betting Angles
The BettingPros consensus spread for the Chiefs vs. Colts sits at +5.5 for the Colts, with a total of 50.5. Interesting to note that the line moved from +6.5 earlier in the week. For whatever reason, the Colts have not been able to win in Jacksonville since 2014. I am hesitant to overreact to last week’s embarrassing shutout loss, but a matchup with the Chiefs is not necessarily a get-right spot for the Colts.
That said, the Colts could get needed reinforcements back on both sides of the ball. Shaq Leonard remains one of the best defensive players in the league when healthy, and he returned to limited practice this week. On offense, wide receivers Michael Pittman and second-round rookie Alec Pierce practiced in full. All three players will be important to monitor if the Colts hope to remain competitive in this game.
Chiefs vs. Colts: Recommendation
The Colts started the season with two road game losses versus inferior opponents. The home opener in Indianapolis and a little desperation to avoid a winless start through three weeks should keep this game competitive. This is also assuming that the key players mentioned above return this week.
If trying, you can pick a couple of small holes in the Chiefs’ 2-0 start. The Chargers were poised to take a seven-point lead in the 4th quarter when a poor decision to run a play for a player signaling for substitution seconds before resulted in a 99-yard interception return for the Chiefs. This is merely to point out that the Chiefs have not looked unbeatable through two weeks, and the home underdog needs to show up this week.
The Pick: Colts +5.5 (-110)
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