New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts Betting Preview

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— Saturday, December 18th New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts

It's an AFC matchup that could be a harbinger of things to come in the playoffs. This week, the New England Patriots face the Indianapolis Colts in a game sure to be entertaining.

Mac Jones and the Patriots' offense has pulled off some incredible feats, including a 7-game win streak. However, they'll be facing one of their toughest competitors when they face off against the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts are dominating the running game right now. Their stout offensive line has propelled them to victory with the help of Carson Wentz. At this point, you could argue that the Colts are the best overall team in the AFC.

However, they can't relax just yet, as the Patriots defense will seek to shut down their offense on Saturday. So, who's the best bet here?

New England Patriots: Defense wins championships

It is hard to argue with the success of the New England Patriots. Obviously, it's not much of a surprise, considering they're led by one of the best coaching minds in history.

For instance, last week against the Buffalo Bills, Mac Jones only threw three passes, and they still won. Not to mention, the Patriots still racked up 241 yards of offense, 222 of which was rushing.

Facing the Colts will be different than facing the Bills, though. The Patriots won't need to be concerned about the elements, but neither will Indianapolis.

The Colts have a great mix of rushing and passing, focusing mostly on the former. The Patriots' defense, however, is definitely up for the challenge and ranks No.1 in points allowed. They even held the Bills to ten points.

Indianapolis Colts: Indy will have to do more than pound the rock

The Colts will likely have to switch up their strategy when they face the Patriots. New England has a very stingy defense, allowing just 195.54 yards through the air.

New England is pretty middle-of-the-road against the run, allowing 114.38 yards per game, 18th in the NFL. To open up the running game, hitting the Patriots with the pass early could definitely help.

As always, against Bill Belichick and the Patriots, this is easier said than done. Indianapolis will need to be at their best on Saturday, especially against the Patriots pass rush.

Eyes should be on Matt Judon, who has been a nightmare for opposing offenses this season. The Colts do have an insurance policy, though, running back Jonathan Taylor, who leads the NFL in rushing yards.

Our pick for the New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts

The New England Patriots actually come in as underdogs here, which is slightly surprising. Take into consideration that in the last two weeks, they defeated the Titans and the Bills. These are two of the best teams in the AFC, and the Patriots defeated them.

However, this slightly works for us because we get a +2 boost to the points spread. Which is why we like the Patriots here.

New England is undefeated on the road and 5-1 ATS when on the road. If there's any team that can derail the Colts right now, it's the Patriots. The Colts have also been pretty awful against the spread this season, going 3-4 at home ATS.

That being said, we'll take the Patriots to win this game and cover the two-point spread.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: New England Patriots +2, OVER

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