Colts Now Listed as 1-Point Favorites vs Steelers in Week 9, Opened as Underdogs
- The Indianapolis Colts have moved from underdogs to one-point favorites in Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh against the Steelers
- The Steelers opened as 1.5-point favorites
- Indy has lost nine of its last 10 games at Pittsburgh
At first glance, when the Colts opened as 1-point underdogs in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was fair to ponder whether the oddsmakers had indeed watched Monday’s Steelers-Miami Dolphins contest.
At one stage in that game, Pittsburgh actually trailed 14-0 before rallying to defeat the 0-7 Dolphins 27-14. But the Steelers failed to cover as 14-point favorites.
It made no sense that 3-4 Pittsburgh, coming off a short week, would be favored to beat the 5-2 AFC South-leading Colts. Bettors obviously agreed with that opinion. So many wagers were handled on the Colts that the line moved to Indianapolis -1.5.
Indianapolis Colts vs Pittsburgh Steelers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | -120 | -1 (-110) | Over 42.5 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | EVEN | +1 (-110) | Under 42.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Oct. 31
The Colts were 15-13 winners over the Denver Broncos last week and also failed to cover as 6.5-point favorites.
Steelers Dominate Series With Colts
Once you looked at the history of the matchup, the picture started to become much more clearer. The opening line favoring Pittsburgh began to make some sense. Every trend you look at relating to this game tends to give the edge to the Steelers.
It's Colts week so please act accordingly the next few days, #Steelers fans. https://t.co/e2v8u98Eel
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) October 31, 2019
For starters, Pittsburgh has won five in a row straight up against Indianapolis. The Colts haven’t beaten the Steelers since 2008. Indy is 1-9 SU in its last 10 visits to the Steel City. That 24-20 verdict on November 9, 2008, was also the most recent win for the Colts at Pittsburgh.
The Colts franchise has only won two games in Pittsburgh. The Baltimore Colts beat the Steelers 41-7 on September. 29, 1968.
Do Colts Play Down to Level of Opposition?
Indianapolis has posted a couple of big-time victories this season. The Colts went into Kansas City and handled the Chiefs 19-13, handing KC its first setback of the season. They also won a big home game over the Houston Texans to take charge of the AFC South.
#WednesdayWisdom#Colts All-Time Record vs. #HereWeGo
6-18 Regular Season, 0-5 Playoffs, 2-14 @ Pittsburgh 😳
Sunday’s Game Will Be A Challenge #Steelers Team Ranks: Offense 28th, Defense 10th
PFF Ranks #Colts O-Line #1 Thru 8 Weeks#INDvsPITT pic.twitter.com/3EbyWoQ1oq
— Peyton2Luck™️ (@Peyton2L) October 30, 2019
On the other hand, when the other team is bad, the Colts tend to play badly. There was that two-point win over the 2-6 Broncos, and a three-point decision over the 1-7 Atlanta Falcons. Indy lost to the 3-5 Los Angeles Chargers and the 3-4 Oakland Raiders.
Another concern regarding the Colts and a tight betting line – kicker Adam Vinatieri, the NFL’s oldest player at 46 years of age, has missed four extra points this season.
Big Ben Won’t Toll
The constant during Pittsburgh’s five-game win streak over Indy was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He’s out for the season, meaning Mason Rudolph is the man at the helm for the Steelers.
https://twitter.com/TweetsFromAlpha/status/1189614275813412864?s=20
And Pittsburgh running James Conner (shoulder) is a game-time decision.
Expect the Colts to fill the box and dare Rudolph to beat them through the air.
Stop Sleeping on Indy
Historically, it’s easy to make the case for the Steelers here. Don’t be surprised if the late money moves the line back toward Pittsburgh. For that reason, Colts bettors might want to hang on and see if the line draws closer.
If you’re planning to bet the Steelers, the time is now. But you’ll probably live to regret that decision.
The Steelers have three wins against teams that are a combined 3-20. They are 0-4 against winning teams this season.
PSA
Best records over last 17 games
14-3 Colts
14-3 Patriots
14-3 Saints
12-5 Texans
12-5 Seahawks
11-6 Chiefs
11-6 Rams
11-6 Cowboys— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) October 29, 2019
In games decided by less than a touchdown, Indy is 4-1 SU. Pittsburgh is 0-3.
Over the past five seasons, Indy is an NFL-best .750 (6-2) ATS when owning a rest advantage.
Historic trends are always an interesting analytic but without Big Ben under center, Pittsburgh’s history is changing.
Play the Colts.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
