Colts at Raiders Spread


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The Colts were successful in shutting down one of the NFL’s better rushing attacks last week, avoiding playoff elimination, and will look to do the same in their quest to cement a postseason berth with a win over the surging Oakland Raiders on the road this Sunday.

Our odds have the Colts as 3-point favorites in this one with an over/under set at 47 points.

Indianapolis stopped Drew-Jones holding him to just 46 yards as they beat Jacksonville 34 -24 on Sunday to forge a tie atop the South with the Jaguars, who would have claimed the division with a victory. The Colts, who cannot clinch the division title this week, will own the tiebreakers over the Jaguars with two more wins. But first, they will need to focus once again on halting their opponents running game as they face Oakland’s No. 6 rushing attack.

It won’t be an easy task as the Raiders are reeling, coming off a huge win over the Denver Broncos last weekend as RB Darren McFadden turned in his second consecutive 100-yard game.

Oakland has made giant leaps this season, but unfortunately, they won’t be going to the playoffs.

The entire team has improved in some way, but questions remain whether or not QB Jason Campbell is the answer for the Raiders. Campbell had one touchdown and two interceptions last week in the win while Kyle Boller warmed up on the sidelines before the Raiders pulled away.

It’s not as if Campbell has no one to throw to as both Jacoby Ford and Zach Miller have proven they are legitimate if they can get their hands on the ball.

The most noticeable improvement for Oakland has been its running game. McFadden has developed into a genuine number one running back with 1,112 yards on the ground and another 476 yards receiving. Michael Bush has been picking up tough yards along the goal line with seven touchdowns.

But it’s the pass defense that will be of most concern for the Colts’ Peyton Manning heading into this weekend’s must win contest. It would seem that everyone on the Raiders defense can rush the passer as the team has accumulated 40 sacks. Oakland has eight interceptions as a team while the defense is allowing just 23.6 points per game.

So what’s the key for the Colts, who have found themselves in control of their own destiny in the AFC South?

Well first of all, Manning needs to put on his best performance adding to his season total of 28 touchdown passes. He has thrown an NFL-leading 4,257 yards, and has bounced back from throwing 11 interceptions during a three-game skid to throw four touchdowns and no picks in two games since. It could be that the Colts running game has finally found its footing taking the focus off Manning.

The rushing attack amassed 155 yards last week, marking the fourth time the Colts have topped 100, and should get another boost this week with the expected return of Joseph Addai, the team’s second-leading rusher despite missing the last eight games with a nerve injury in his left shoulder.

Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney are still one of the best pass rush combinations and they will need to bring it against the Raiders.

Matt’s Free Prediction: Raiders +3 – The Colts rank 28th in opponent rushing, while the Raiders rank 5th in opponent passing yards. That sounds like a favorable matchup for Oakland who relies almost entirely or exploiting holes on the ground, and does a great job of keeping good QB’s like Manning in check. Peyton better bring his A-game and hope his receivers can out dash the Oakland secondary.

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