New York @ Indianapolis preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 3, 2014 ) Indianapolis 40, N.Y. Giants 24

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the hottest teams in the NFL but still have work to do to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, a quest that continues Sunday against the visiting New York Giants. Last week's 23-0 win over the Dallas Cowboys was the seventh win in the last eight contests for the Colts, who enter Week 16 two games out in the AFC South and right in the thick of the wild-card race.

"I've been a part of teams where you sit and say, 'We need this to happen with this.' It doesn't work like that," quarterback Andrew Luck told reporters of the need to resist the urge to watch the scoreboard. ''You've got to handle your own business.'' Luck and Co. certainly did that against the Cowboys, rolling up 178 yards on the ground and limiting a red-hot Dallas offense to just 292 total yards. The Giants had won four of five and entertained thoughts of sneaking in the back end of the NFC playoffs before falling 17-0 to Tennessee last week. Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (quadriceps) has missed two straight games and is day-to-day for New York, which averaged 31.4 points during its 4-1 surge before committing two turnovers and 10 penalties in the shutout loss.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Colts -9. O/U: 47

ABOUT THE GIANTS (5-9): While Beckham's season is winding down with a questionable status, rookie running back Saquon Barkley is intent on finishing strong even though the team has been eliminated from playoff contention. "I would love my workload to be whatever it can be to help the team win," Barkley told reporters. "I've said multiple times, if that's 10 carries or if that's 40 touches. I bumped it up to 40 this time." Barkley, the Giants' first rookie running back selected to the Pro Bowl since 1965, was held to a season-low 56 total yards last Sunday.

ABOUT THE COLTS (8-6): The Indianapolis defense should be pretty content following a shutout win, but its leader -- linebacker Darius Leonard -- is feeling even more motivation after a Pro Bowl snub this week and said he wants to get 40 tackles to let out his frustrations. "Impossible? There is nothing impossible," Leonard - whose 146 tackles leads the league - told reporters of the mission. "If you play a lot of snaps you've just got to get on every play possible." Leonard needs 15 more to break Jeff Herrod's franchise record established in 1991.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Giants QB Eli Manning has 13 TD passes against just three interceptions in seven road games.

2. Colts RB Marlon Mack ran for a career-high 139 yards and two TDs in the win over the Cowboys.

3. Indianapolis has won the last three meetings, including a 40-24 triumph in the previous meeting in 2014, when Luck threw for 354 yards and four TDs.

PREDICTION: Colts 28, Giants 17