Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens: Battle in the trenches

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Two 5-2 teams squaring off at Lucas Oil Stadium this afternoon. But I'd say that we could play "spot the intruder" game here, because I see only one legit 5-2 team here. looking at the Colts' schedule, we can see that had it pretty easy so far. They've faced only two winning teams so far and those were Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. It seems like the move where they signed Philipp Rivers to be the starting QB worked, but I am still not that sure about it.

It's obvious that he doesn't have the arm strength anymore to chuck it downfield and use the speed of TY Hilton, which is one of the reasons why TY is having a slow season. His throwing trajectory is also pretty low and can get tipped at the line of scrimmage. The ball doesn't have that much velocity and is not a perfect spiral, causing it to travel slower to the receivers. All those things are making his throws more vulnerable for interceptions. He's coming off of two good games, where he threw for six touchdowns and one interception. But, looking at all the games, he already has 6 interceptions.

Avoiding turnovers is the key

Also, he hasn't faced a defense of Baltimore's level just yet. This is an aggressive group that plays physical up front. They put pressure on QB's and they have a bunch of ball-hawks back there that can punish those poor throws and create turnovers. TY Hilton's injury is another big problem for the Colts. He is doubtful for this game. They will dearly miss him in this matchup, where they need someone that can create the separation and offer some easy targets for Rivers to get in the rhythm. I guess he'll be forced to find that guy elsewhere today.

There are not only sunshines and rainbows in Baltimore either. Marlon Humphrey tested positive after the game vs Pittsburgh last week and is out today. Mark Ingram is another big name that won't play, but he was out in previous weeks already and Ravens' showed that they have some nice depth at RB position with Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins.

Colts vs Ravens betting tips

Speaking of running backs, they should have an important role today. Baltimore runs one of the most run-heavy systems in the league. And now they are facing a legit run defense that allows only 3.4 yards per carry. Good enough for 2nd place in the league in that category. It's where probably this game will be decided. If Baltimore manages to punch through that wall, Indianapolis will have problems to win this game. But if they manage to limit Ravens' production on the ground, they will be a step or two closer to the victory.

Problem for Indianapolis is that Baltimore's run offense is not that tradition. As we all know, it's a monster with many heads. They are very successful with their option plays, where Lamar Jackson uses his athleticism to beat the contain and run for big chunks of yardage himself. It will be very important for Colts' edge players to be disciplined and keep the contain, preventing Lamar Jackson getting that edge. We'll see who wins that one.

Also, don't forget to check out our new feature for comparing outright odds. These two opponents are both part of the AFC conference. Odds for winning it can be found with this link: https://theplayer.com/odds/american-football/usa/nfl/nfl-afc-conference-winner