NFL
NFL week 18 preview: Colts and Bills charging for the playoffs
We are even closer to the playoffs and there are some exciting matchups ahead in the coming days.
With the Houston Texans travelling to Indianapolis to face the Colts and the Miami Dolphins hosting the Buffalo Bills, this weekend is set to provide some sure-fire entertainment.
We preview two marquee matchups from Week 18 below.
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
An AFC South showdown sees two 9-7 teams battle it out in a “win and in” game for a playoff spot in the NFL postseason. Both the Texans and Colts can secure at least a wildcard playoff spot with a win and depending on the result between the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the AFC South title, and a guaranteed home playoff game. The Colts are coming off the back of a nail-biting victory against the Las Vegas Raiders to give themself a primetime showdown against their division rivals. In contrast, the Texans were dominant in their victory against the Titans and are looking to roll-over divisional opponents for the second week in a row to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Impressive rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Texans returned last week after a previous injury scare and looked solid against the Titans secondary. This is a slightly more challenging task against a stout Colts defence, but his combination of accuracy and composure should help him get his offence rolling. You can expect him to find at least two of his receivers in the end zone with over 2 total passing touchdowns boosted, with enhanced odds of 4/1.
Since his return to the Colts, star running back Jonathan Taylor has been exceptional for a usually hit or miss Indianapolis offence. In his last three matches, he has found the endzone at least once and has been a touchdown threat for all redzone defences. An anytime touchdown for Mr Taylor is still value at 1/2, but we feel there’s even more value at 6/4 for him to get into the endzone first for the Colts.
With everything on the line for both of these AFC South teams, we can be sure to expect a close-call fixture and picking the outright winner is a 50/50 toss-up. The Colts are well-coached and certainly know how to get it done in these tight, one-score games. The home advantage might just help them get over the line in this one, that is why Colts on the money line at EVS might just be the pick for this one.
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
Another huge match up here in the AFC with major playoff implications as we head over to the AFC East this time to cover the bang-in-form Buffalo Bills travelling to Miami to take on the division leading Dolphins. Miami already have a playoff spot secured before this week 18 match-up, but should their divisional rivals get the better of them here, they will lose their #2 AFC seed and ultimately lose home advantage in the playoffs. As for Buffalo, their fate hangs in the balance, a win and they take the AFC East title off Miami and are in the playoffs. However, a defeat in Miami will have them relying on other AFC teams’ results to get them into the postseason.
We covered the Bills a few weeks back and mentioned that their rushing power has been the catalyst for their up-turn in form. Bills QB Josh Allen has been handing the ball off more and has been feeding his star running back James Cook more often with more rushing attempts. However, when they get into the redzone, Allen likes to take matters into his own hands. Unbelievably, he has 8 rushing touchdowns in his last 5 games and you can be sure he’ll be looking to walk into the Dolphins endzone at least once. Josh Allen to score an anytime touchdown is great value at 17/20 considering his recent endzone rushing antics.
Last week, the Dolphins took a hammering at the hands of overwhelming super bowl favourites, the Baltimore Ravens. Their squad has taken a real hit with injuries recently and look pretty depleted. One player they have looked to all season long, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, took a knock last week and did not practice on Thursday as per reports. Although he’s been the best receiver in the league all year, his receiving total to go under 91.5 yards at 5/6 seems like value considering his limited practice and the Buffalo defence which will be determined to lock him up and give him a tough afternoon.
This one seems fairly straightforward; the Buffalo Bills need this victory more than Miami do and look better equipped to do so. Buffalo have been on a roll and are bruising teams along the way, so we don’t expect the Dolphins to make any sort of challenge to this Bills battering ram. Buffalo Bills on the money line at 4/6 looks solid but also on the spread -2.5 at 5/6 holds value considering recent form and motives for this final week 18 matchup.
