Colts Vs. Titans Betting Lines And Pick Finding Meaning In The Meaningless

Line: Colts -7, Total: 46.5

Line movement: The Colts opened at -6.5 and -7 in some spots. Most books which opened at -6.5 moved up to -7. The total opened at 47 or 46.5 with a little movement toward the UNDER. The Stratosphere posted 46. For updated spreads and totals, visit our live odds page.

Trends that matter: The Colts are 16-4-1 ATS in their last 21 games against the AFC South. The Titans are 6-20-2 ATS in their last 28 against the AFC South. The UNDER is 18-6 in the Colts last 24 games against the AFC South but the OVER is 11-4 in the Titans last 15 games against a team with a winning record. The Colts are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings and the UNDER is 14-5 in the last 19 meetings.

No D in Big D: A copy of the defensive game-plan for Indianapolis against the Cowboys was acquired by the Linemakers. It was a blank word document with a blinking cursor. The Colts gave up 35 points last week. Yes, the final was 42-7, but those extra 14 points were scored by Matt Hasselbeck and Brandon Weeden.

Indy had more turnovers than QB Tony Romo threw incompletions. With 10 carries on offense, the Colts had one rushing yard as a team. It was an ugly day in which a win would have kept the Colts alive for a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Instead, the Colts finish up the season in Tennessee and will come out as the fourth seed in the AFC no matter the outcome.

Indianapolis has a below-average defense and this is a game in which backups could see time. Luckily, it could be a “get-well game” as Tennessee’s offense is dreadful. Speaking of getting well, Tennessee’s glaring weakness on defense is against the run. This could give some life to the legs of a mediocre stable of running backs in Indy.

If QB Andrew Luck is rested for any significant period of time, Hasselbeck, who played very well in garbage time against the Cowboys, would get the snaps. Despite the awful defense versus Dallas, Indy has gone UNDER in three straight contests.

Sweet, merciful end: All of Tennessee cannot wait for the final whistle this Sunday, except for QB Charlie Whitehurst. The career backup has played well in his opportunities this season and is likely destined for a clipboard role again next year. If anyone has motivation for this game, it’s him.

The same likely goes for tight end Delanie Walker, who is having his best season ever as a pro.

The Titans have lost nine straight games and have failed to cover their last five. Like Indy, Tennessee also comes in on a 3-game UNDER streak. On offense, the Titans are barely above 10 points per game in their last three outings. If the Colts had anything to play for, and perhaps if head coach Chuck Pagano decides to play Luck deep into the game, this would be another blowout like the 41-17 final from September.

However, this is now a meaningless game and it closes on Tennessee’s home field. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt almost won a Super Bowl with the Cardinals, it is doubtful that he would be satisfied with only two wins on the season.

Injuries that matter: For Indy, tight end Dwayne Allen (knee), tackle Gosder Cherilus (groin), guard Hugh Thornton (knee), and backup guard Joe Reitz (ankle) are all questionable.

Tennessee’s tackle Taylor Lewan (ankle) is questionable.

Weather: There is a 60 percent chance of rain on Sunday. Check an updated forecast ahead of kickoff.

HANDICAPPING TOOLS: Matchup analysis | Power ratings | TEN page | IND page

The Linemakers’ lean: Brian Blessing doesn’t expect the Colts to treat this as a glorified bye as they need get their offense clicking headed into the postseason. He’s siding with Indy and the OVER. As Kenny White notes, the Andrew Luck-led Colts are 18-3 ATS against teams with a losing record. He likes Indy in this spot, but isn’t confident in the Titans’ ability to score so he’s going to stay away from the total.