HOUSTON (9-7) at INDIANAPOLIS (9-7)

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN.

OPENING LINE: Texans by 1 1/2, in accordance with FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Texans 8-8, Colts 9-7.

SERIES RECORD: Colts lead 33-10-1.

LAST MEETING: Colts beat Texans 31-20 on Sept. 17, 2023, in Houston.

LAST WEEK: Texans beat Titans 26-3, Colts beat Raiders 23-20.

TEXANS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (22), PASS (7), SCORING (14T).

TEXANS DEFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (3T), PASS (25T), SCORING (13).

COLTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (13), PASS (20), SCORING (10).

COLTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (27), PASS (17), SCORING (27).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Texans plus-9; Colts plus-3.

TEXANS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Will Anderson Jr. is predicted to play regardless of coping with an ankle harm. The third total decide within the draft returned final week after lacking two video games with the harm and nonetheless had two sacks regardless of taking part in restricted snaps. His seven sacks this season are a franchise file for a rookie.

COLTS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Gardner Minshew. He already has gained a career-best seven video games this season. Securing No. 8, and incomes a playoff berth, would give Minshew a brand new standing round Indy. To do it, he’ll must restrict the turnovers and must reap the benefits of a move protection that enables 240.4 yards per recreation.

KEY MATCHUP: Stroud vs. Colts move protection. The first indication of Stroud’s unimaginable season got here within the first assembly in Week 2. Despite getting sacked six occasions, Stroud went 30 of 47 with 384 yards and two TDs. He’s been good within the 12 video games since, getting sacked 25 occasions whereas throwing simply 5 interceptions. With a younger and probably short-handed secondary and a robust move rush, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley should discover methods to make Stroud uncomfortable.

KEY INJURIES: DE Jonathan Greenard leads Houston with a career-high 12½ sacks, however might miss his second straight recreation with an injured ankle. LT Laremy Tunsil is predicted to play regardless of leaving Sunday’s recreation and lacking follow this week an injured groin. WR Noah Brown has missed follow this week with a again harm. … It’s unclear whether or not the Colts may have CB Kenny Moore II (again) and No. 2 RB Zack Moss (proper forearm). Both had been inactive final week. C Ryan Kelly (ankle) and LG Quenton Nelson (ankle) additionally had been on this week’s harm report.

SERIES NOTES: Indy has gained 5 of the previous seven on this sequence with the groups additionally taking part in to at least one tie. … Houston’s lone win throughout that span got here in final yr’s season finale and was the franchise’s fourth victory in Indy. … These groups entered their earlier matchup with Stroud, Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson and first-year coaches Shane Steichen and DeMeco Ryans all in search of their first profession wins. … The Colts are chasing a thirteenth season sweep of the Texans. There have been seven splits amongst these AFC South foes since Houston’s inaugural season in 2002. … The Texans and Colts performed one playoff recreation with Indy successful 21-7 in January 2019 at Houston.

STATS AND STUFF: The winner clinches a playoff berth and can win the AFC South — if Jacksonville loses. A loss ends one crew’s season. … Houston moved into the playoff race by successful six of its previous 9 following a loss at Carolina. It is 3-4 on the street this season. … Houston most lately made the postseason in 2019. … This is the primary time the Texans haven’t performed within the early Sunday time slot since Week 9 in 2022. … The Texans are 4-1 all time in Saturday video games. … Houston held Tennessee to 1 of 12 on third down and had its third six-sack recreation of the season final week. … The Texans have tied the franchise’s single-season sacks file (45). … Rookie QB C.J. Stroud has 21 TD passes and simply 5 interceptions. He wants 156 yards to succeed in 4,000. … WR Nico Collins (1,022 yards) is the fourth participant in crew historical past with a 1,000-yard season. … DT Sheldon Rankins scored the primary landing of his profession on a 13-yard fumble return final week. … DE Jerry Hughes, who was drafted by the Colts, had a sack and compelled a fumble final week, giving him 70 sacks and 19 pressured fumbles in his profession. … Houston has alternated wins and losses every of the previous seven weeks whereas Indy has alternated wins and losses every of the previous 5 weeks. Both groups gained final week. … The Colts have gained six of their previous eight, together with three straight dwelling video games to enhance to 4-4 on their dwelling turf. … Another victory would make Steichen the fifth consecutive first-year, non-interim coach to guide Indy into the postseason. The others are Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell, Chuck Pagano and Frank Reich. … Indy is 6-2 in one-possession video games this season, giving it the league’s second-best successful share at .750. … Minshew went 19 of 23 with 171 yards and one TD move in aid of the injured Richardson at Houston. … Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 5 TDs in his previous 4 video games and had a season-high 96 yards in final weekend’s victory. … WR Michael Pittman Jr. wants eight catches to go from sixth to 3rd on the franchise’s single-season reception record, leapfrogging his coach, Reggie Wayne, and Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Pittman has caught a career-high 104 passes this season. … WR Josh Downs wants one catch to interrupt Indy’s single-season rookie file (Bill Brooks, 65 in 1986). … The Colts are fifth within the NFL with a franchise-record 49 sacks.

FANTASY TIP: Stroud actually appears to be like like a strong play in opposition to a protection that has struggled at occasions and has allowed the NFL’s seventh-highest level whole. But he’s solely produced six TDs on the street all season — 4 passing and two speeding. And whereas Taylor appears to be rounding into kind after lacking seven video games, the Texans have been sturdy in opposition to the run. So this week’s sneaky play is Pittman, who thrives underneath stress.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)