Two teams with very different motives will meet on New Year’s Day when the Indianapolis Colts head to the Meadowlands to face off with the New York Giants.
The Colts have continued their free fall into one of the worst records in the NFL, having lost five consecutive and eight of the last nine games. The Giants have been struggling themselves, going 2-5-1 over the last eight games. Will the Colts be able to play spoiler to the Giants' playoff chances?
Find out in our free NFL betting picks and predictions for the Colts vs. Giants on Sunday, January 1.
Colts vs Giants best odds
Colts vs Giants picks and predictions
Both teams are struggling to get back into their early season winning ways, but the Colts may actually want to continue their free fall for draft position. Meanwhile, the Giants are still currently in a Wild Card spot and a win will clinch a playoff berth. They will have a great opportunity in this matchup to get that.
Indianapolis has one of the worst run defenses in the NFL this season. The Colts allow 122.2 rushing yards per game on the season, up to 137.7 rushing yards over the past three contests, and have also allowed 18 rushing touchdowns with at least one in each of the past six games.
Meanwhile, the Giants thrive on running the football and controlling possession. New York ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game and 144.9 per. It also ranks fifth in the league with 18 rushing touchdowns and has gotten at least one in every game since Week 2.
A major reason for this success has been the resurgence of a healthy Saquon Barkley. He has played in every game thus far this season, which is something he has not accomplished since his rookie year in 2018. Barkley missed three games in 2019, 14 in 2020, and four games last season.
While Barkley does not have any receiving touchdowns this season, he does have 10 touchdowns on the ground — in 10 different games. Scoring a touchdown in 66% of his games this season is a great indicator for another game with a touchdown against the Colts.
There is almost certainly going to be a rushing touchdown from the Giants here and there is no better player to choose than Barkley.
My best bet: Saquon Barkley anytime touchdown (-135)
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Colts vs Giants spread analysis
Only the Bengals have a better record against the spread than the Giants this season. At 11-4 ATS, they have continued to beat the linemakers and proved many of the doubters wrong. However, now they find themselves as favorites for only the fifth time this year.
The Giants are 2-2 ATS in those previous four games, however, they did lose straight up both times they failed to cover as favorites. The Colts have failed to cover three of the past four games and six of the past nine. They are 6-9 ATS overall with only four teams in the league having a worse record.
The Giants will have no problem playing the exact style of game they thrive on, low scoring with control of possession through the ground game. New York will run the ball successfully and shut down the Colts defensively. With just a couple of touchdowns, the Giants should be able to cover easily.
Colts vs Giants Over/Under analysis
As expected, this game has a low total set of only 39 points. Despite this being a January game in the Meadowlands, the weather should not be too much of an issue. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s and winds should only be around 14 mph.
While the weather will not be an issue for the offenses, quarterback play will be an issue. Nick Foles got his first start since Week 15 of last season last week for the Colts and it was not a pretty one. Foles threw for 143 yards on 58.6% completion percentages with three interceptions and was sacked seven times. Things won’t get any easier this week.
The Under is 7-2 in the last nine Colts games against a team with a winning record and 7-1 in the last eight Giants home games against a team with a losing road record.
Those trends should continue here with another Under.
Colts vs Giants betting trend to know
The Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. Find more NFL betting trends for Colts vs. Giants.
Colts vs Giants game info
| Location: | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| Date: | Sunday, January 1, 2023 |
| Kickoff: | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | CBS |
| Opening odds: | Giants -3.5, O/U 40.5 |
Colts vs Giants latest injuries
Colts vs Giants weather
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