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Everywhere you look in the NFL standings, there are some great battles going on. With just 4 weeks left in the season, the margin for error for several teams is beginning to shrink. This is a crucial AFC matchup, as both of these teams are jockeying for position in the run towards the postseason. The Patriots are currently sitting with the #1 seed in the AFC, but they have several teams hot on their heels. The Colts are seeing the division slip away, but they need wins in the final weeks to maintain their current playoff spot. While the Patriots are the top team in the conference right now, they head into this one as a 2 ½ point road dog. The point total for this one is set at 45 ½. That being said, let’s take a look at our NFL Betting preview for the upcoming match between the Patriots and the Colts.

NFL Betting Analysis for New England Patriots at Indianapolis

How to Bet On New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts & TV Info

When: Sunday, December 18 at 8:15 PM EST
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV: NFL Network

Why bet on the New England Patriots

You do have to say that seeing the Patriots at the top of the standings is a bit of a surprise. Yes, they were there all the time in the Tom Brady era, but a slow start and playing with a rookie QB under center had many believing that they might struggle to make the postseason this year. As it is, they come into this game with a 9-4 record and looking like a lock to win the AFC East. The Patriots are on a run that has seen them win each of their last 7 games, a run where they covered the spread in each of those wins. They have won each of their last 8 games versus the Colts and are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings with Indianapolis. The Patriots offense has been firing during this winning streak, which may explain why 6 of their last 9 games have seen the point total go OVER.

Why bet on the Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are battling to stay alive in the race to make the playoffs and are currently sitting in the #6 spot in the AFC. The Colts have won 4 of their last 5 games, with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 38-31 shootout. They are at 7-6 on the season and still a couple of wins behind the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South. They can still run the Titans down, but they really can’t afford to lose too many more games coming down the stretch. The Colts have been a fantastic bet of late, covering the spread in 7 of their last 10 games. That said, they are just 3-16-1 ATS in their last 20 games at home versus the Patriots. They have also been trending towards the OVER, with 5 of their last 7 games going in that direction.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This is one of those games that might well come down to who gets the ball last. That makes it a tricky bet in terms of the SU and ATS picks, but I think we can confidently take the OVER in this one, as I believe we might see some offense from both teams.

Pick: New England Patriots 27 Indianapolis Colts 24

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