NFL Week 8 Picks & Predictions: Colts vs. Commanders (2022)

You can find all of my best bets for Week 8 here. Let’s take a look below at my favorite odds, picks, and predictions for Colts vs. Commanders to help guide your Week 8 NFL betting.

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NFL Week 8 Picks & Predictions: Colts vs. Commanders

Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts

Check out our Commanders at Colts matchup page.

  • Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, 4:25 pm ET
  • Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
  • TV: FOX

Commanders at Colts: Consensus Lines

  • Spread: Colts -3
  • Over/Under: 39.5
  • Moneyline: Colts -148, Commanders +130

Commanders at Colts: Betting Percentages

Data from Action Network and as of Oct. 26

  • Spread: Commanders - 65% bets, 72% money
  • Over/Under: Under - 79% bets, 93% money
  • Moneyline: Commanders - 42% bets, 45% money

Commanders at Colts: Injuries

Commanders: Week 8 Injury Report

Player Position Injury Wed
Saahdiq Charles G Illness DNP
Jahan Dotson WR Hamstring DNP
Cole Holcomb LB Foot DNP
William Jackson CB Back DNP
Cole Turner TE Concussion DNP
Dyami Brown WR Groin LP
Logan Thomas TE Calf LP
Jonathan Williams RB Knee LP
Sam Cosmi OT Finger FP
Taylor Heinicke QB Calf FP

 

Commanders: IR, PUP & Out

Player Pos Status
Willie Beavers G IR
Tariq Castro-Fields CB IR
Milo Eifler LB IR
Curtis Hodges TE IR
Phidarian Mathis DT IR
Chase Roullier C IR
Wes Schweitzer G IR
Carson Wentz QB IR
Chase Young DE PUP

 

Commanders Injury News

Colts: Week 8 Injury Report

Player Position Injury Wed
Stephon Gilmore CB Rest DNP
Yannick Ngakoue DE Rest DNP
Kwity Paye DE Ankle DNP
Matt Ryan QB Right shoulder DNP
Grant Stuard LB Pectoral DNP
JoJo Domann LB Abdomen LP
Ryan Kelly C Knee LP
Keke Coutee WR Concussion FP
Zaire Franklin OLB Shoulder FP
Shaquille Leonard OLB Back FP
Luke Rhodes LS Shoulder FP

 

Colts: IR, PUP & Out

Player Pos Status
Trevor Denbow S IR
Ashton Dulin WR IR
Carter O’Donnell T IR
Andrew Ogletree TE IR
Rigoberto Sanchez P IR
Armani Watts S IR
Khari Willis S Retired

 

Colts Injury News

Commanders at Colts: Notable Trends

Data from Action Network and goes back to 2003. Abbreviations: Against the spread (ATS), return on investment (ROI), moneyline (ML).

Commanders Trends

  • 2022 Commanders: 3-4 ATS (10.2% ROI for faders)

Colts Trends

  • 2022 Colts: 3-4 ATS (8.6% ROI for faders)
  • HC Frank Reich: 24-17-2 ATS (13.2% ROI) out of division

Commanders at Colts: Team Statistics

Advanced data from RBs Don't Matter and Football Outsiders. Basic stats from Pro Football ReferenceRegular season only. Abbreviations: Expected Points Added (EPA), Success Rate (SR), Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA).

Commanders Offense vs. Colts Defense

Metric Offense Rank Defense Rank Offense Edge
EPA per Play -0.079 27 0.004 14 -13
Total SR 38.3% 30 45.7% 25 -5
Total DVOA -16.7% 28 -2.3% 11 -17
Dropback EPA -0.065 27 0.098 21 -6
Dropback SR 41.0% 27 50.4% 28 1
Pass DVOA -7.9% 29 8.4% 16 -13
Adj. Sack Rate 9.2% 29 8.0% 10 -19
Rush EPA -0.104 22 -0.115 10 -12
Rush SR 33.1% 31 39.8% 14 -17
Rush DVOA -20.4% 29 -13.9% 8 -21
Adj. Line Yards 4.11 26 3.86 3 -23
Yards per Play 4.9 29 5.1 8 -21
Points per Game 17.9 25 20 13 -12

 

Colts Offense vs. Commanders Defense

Metric Offense Rank Defense Rank Offense Edge
EPA per Play -0.097 30 0.003 13 -17
Total SR 42.5% 23 41.0% 3 -20
Total DVOA -26.8% 32 1.2% 16 -16
Dropback EPA -0.051 26 0.08 16 -10
Dropback SR 45.6% 19 44.3% 11 -8
Pass DVOA -20.2% 30 15.2% 29 -1
Adj. Sack Rate 8.4% 23 8.2% 7 -16
Rush EPA -0.197 31 -0.128 9 -22
Rush SR 35.5% 30 35.5% 3 -27
Rush DVOA -28.6% 32 -18.6% 4 -28
Adj. Line Yards 3.86 31 4.24 9 -22
Yards per Play 5 27 5.5 16 -11
Points per Game 16.1 30 22.3 19 -11

 

Commanders at Colts: Quarterback Statistics

Data from RBs Don't Matter, Pro Football Reference, ESPN and NFElo. Abbreviations: Completion Percentage Over Expectation (CPOE), Adjusted Yards per Attempt (AY/A), Adjusted Total Quarterback Rating (QBR), Quarterback Elo Value (QB Elo). 2022 data: Min. 112 plays for EPA + CPOE. Min. 14 pass attempts per scheduled game for AY/A. Min. 20 action plays per game for QBR.

2022: Taylor Heinicke

Metric Output Rank
ATS Value vs. Avg. -1.6 35

 

Career: Taylor Heinicke

  • AY/A: 6.1
  • QB Elo per Game: -35.8

2022: Sam Ehlinger

Ehlinger has no NFL passing statistics.

Career: Sam Ehlinger

  • AY/A: N/A
  • QB Elo per Game: N/A

Key Matchup: Colts Rush Offense vs. Commanders Rush Defense

Benched QB Matt Ryan hasn’t been great this year (6.0 AY/A, No. 29) — but the Colts running game has been worse.

Astoundingly, the Colts have a bottom-three rushing offense, and now they’re taking on a defense that’s top-10 against the run.

Metric Offense Rank Defense Rank Offense Edge
Rush EPA -0.197 31 -0.128 9 -22
Rush SR 0.355 30 0.355 3 -27
Rush DVOA -0.286 32 -0.186 4 -28
Adj. Line Yards 3.86 31 4.24 9 -22

 

But maybe — maybe — new starting QB Sam Ehlinger will be able to help out in the ground game.

He’s a sixth-rounder making his first NFL start, so I’m probably just burning money by betting on him, but he was fantastic in the preseason with 24-of-29 for 289-4-0 passing. Under the guidance of HC Frank Reich, he might be able to play well enough within the system to hold serve against a Commanders defense that ranks No. 29 in pass DVOA (15.2%).

And he has an explosiveness and mobility that Ryan has never had. In four years of college ball, Ehlinger was 459-2,510-33 rushing (excluding sacks, per Sports Info Solutions). Most importantly, he had 173 scrambles — and that’s why he’s now the Colts starter.

The Colts need a quarterback who can (hopefully) help them juice the rushing game by turning pressured dropbacks and sacks into chain-moving improvised carries.

Before Ryan’s benching was announced …

… this line was -4 on Sunday night and Monday morning. Within an hour of the announcement, the line had moved to -2, where it met resistance and was bet back to the key number of -3, where it currently is at most sportsbooks.

That’s the sign that the market thinks Ehlinger can play — or at least keep this game close.

Best Line: Colts -2.5 (-110, DraftKings)
First Recommended: Colts -2.5 (-110)
Personal Projection:
Colts -3.25

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