Does the Colts’ slump continue against the Chiefs?

0:1:1 meets 2:0 and not only for this reason the signs before the game Colts vs. Chiefs are clear. The Chiefs go into the game as clear favourites. But the NFL would not be the NFL if it could not be closer than expected in the end.

Because this Colts team isn’t as bad as their start to the season would suggest. Even though they scored a ridiculous 0 points against the Jaguars and inexplicably only tied their home opener against the Texans.

Everyone is now expecting a blowout win for Sunday from Mahomes and Co. They could end up winning the game, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Indianapolis could put up tough resistance until the end.

So for betting purposes we have to weigh up whether we trust the 5-6 point handicap for the Chiefs or whether we have to look for another alternative. For Colts vs Chiefs, our prediction is definitely a close and contested game where the Chiefs will have to improve on the previous week to take their record to 3-0.

Start of this NFL Week 3 clash is Sunday at 7:00pm in Indianapolis. The game can be watched live on DAZN’s ENDZN.

Indianapolis Colts – Statistics & current form

Quo Vadis Colts? After two days of play and arguably the easiest starting schedule of any team, the franchise is surprisingly still without a win on the season. The Matt Ryan experiment has yet to bear fruit and kicker Rodrigo Blankenship has already been fired.

There is also still a lot wrong with the play calling – there is no other explanation for the 0 points against Jacksonville. Why did top rusher Jonathan Taylor, for example, only get nine carries when he was putting up 6.0 yards per rush?

Too much pressure on Matt Ryan?

This does speak strongly to forcing it too much in Indianapolis. They just want Matt Ryan to work, so they let him throw and throw and throw – but also interception after interception.

Instead of then just relying on the run game and admitting that a pass-first offense isn’t the right thing to do right now. Maybe the Colts will wake up against the Chiefs. In fact, we strongly expect them to adjust their system a bit now, which can only be good for their game.

Running game important against the Chiefs

So there will be a huge burden on the running game around Jonathan Taylor on Sunday. The preseason’s best running back (1811 yards), will almost certainly get well over ten carries. They also have an excellent and agile backup in Nyheim Hines.

So they should at least get more scoring chances on Sunday than in the previous week. Then it’s up to their red zone efficiency and also new kicker Chase McLaughlin. He has converted eight of his nine field goals of over 50 yards in a career. It’s quite possible he’ll get another opportunity on Sunday.

For this reason, a kicker bet is not a bad betting option. With the Chiefs starting backup kicker Matt Amendola (longest field goal of his career: 49 yards), betting on the Colts kicking the longest field goal of the game is a very good betting option for Indianapolis vs. Kansas City.

Key Players:
QB: Matt Ryan
RB: Jonathan Taylor
WR: Michael Pittman Jr.
TE: Kylen Granson
K: Chase McLaughlin

Kansas City Chiefs – stats & current form

How focused will the Chiefs be entering Sunday away in Indianapolis? Their performance against the Chargers was very erratic at times. Only with a lot of luck and thanks to their defence were they able to win the game in the end.

But that won’t work every week. Pat Mahomes, in particular, has to become more accurate again, as he threw numerous balls that would normally have been intercepted. Against a really fired-up Colts team, though, it might not be that easy this weekend.

Chiefs must expect angry Colts

On paper, Kansas City now faces one of the weakest teams of the season so far. But what experience from NFL history teaches us is that a team previously held to 0 points will be extremely motivated going into the next game.

Especially in the pass rush, they will be chasing Mahomes and there will be a tough task ahead for the O-line in front of the quarterback. If they manage to allow only one sack again (against Arizona it was even 0), then the chances of a third win of the season are very good.

High or low scoring game?

The last few games between these two teams have been surprisingly low scoring and so the question for Sunday is also how many total points we will see. A high scoring game would certainly play into the Chiefs’ cards as there is hardly any other team that is so good in high scoring games.

However, we can also imagine a scrappy game in which field goals are scored instead of touchdowns. The Chiefs will probably have to do without their regular kicker Harrison Butker, who injured his ankle against the Cardinals, for another week.

However, backup Matt Amendola is a solid alternative. In terms of the length of his field goals, however, he doesn’t have as strong a leg as his counterpart, which is why we actually consider the odds on Indy’s longer field goal as our No. 1 betting option for Colts vs. Chiefs.

Key Players:
QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WR: Juju Smith-Schuster
TE: Travis Kelce
K: Matt Amendola

Indianapolis Colts – Kansas City Chiefs Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The last head-to-head duel in 2019 actually went to the Colts and even if we look back a little further, Kansas City isn’t badly behind them. Seven of the last ten duels were won by Indianapolis.

Something else stood out in the last duel – there were no less than six field goals in this game. We don’t expect quite that many on Sunday, but it could well be a game in which the kickers matter.

We have already explained our betting recommendation on the longest field goal in detail. Alternatively, we also favour betting on Kansas City. For Chiefs vs. Colts, however, a bet on Chiefs – 5.5 is still just about bettable in terms of the handicap.

Indianapolis Colts – Kansas City Chiefs Tip

Betting on the Chiefs or an alternative after all? We have listed a few points that speak more for an alternative (Colts rage, history, home advantage), but where the Chiefs of course still remain the favourites.

Our No.1 bet is on the Colts’ longest field goal, our No.2 bet is on Chiefs -5.5. However, due to an expected ragged game, Indianapolis vs. Kansas City under-point odds (Under 50.5) are also still in the draw.

Another alternative is betting on a Jonathan Taylor touchdown. The Colts’ running back has been held back a bit so far, but should finally be let off the leash on Sunday. In Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs, the betting odds on this are in the range of 1.70.