Colts Listed as Favorites to Win AFC South; Texans & Jaguars Not Far Behind
- The Indianapolis Colts are slight favorites to win the AFC South title
- The Colts were a Wild-Card team last season
- After a 1-5 start, Indy finished the season on a 9-1 tear
The Indianapolis Colts were the hottest team in the NFL over the final 10 games of the 2018-19 NFL season. The oddsmakers are counting on the Colts to pick up where they left off.
The sportsbook has established Indianapolis as the slight favorite to win the AFC South division title in the 2019 NFL divisional odds, just ahead of the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
2019 AFC South Division Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | +150 |
| Houston Texans | +225 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +300 |
| Tennessee Titans | +600 |
*Odds taken on 04/23/19
The 10-6 Colts earned an AFC Wild-Card berth last season, their first postseason appearance in four years.
Comeback Colts
Coming off a dismal 4-12 campaign, the Colts began last season 1-5. It looked like another season without postseason football in Indianapolis. However, a 37-5 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 7 launched Indy’s turnaround.
The Colts won nine of their last 10 regular season games, highlighted by four and five-game winning streaks. They went 4-2 within the division and 6-2 on their home field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Frank Reich reflects on his first year as head coach and looks ahead to the 2019 season starting with the #NFLCombine: pic.twitter.com/X0j4Y3BUW5
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) March 2, 2019
Indy beat the AFC South champion Houston Texans, 21-7, on Wild Card Weekend before falling 31-13 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
The Colts were just the third team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and qualify for the playoffs.
As Luck Would Have It
Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck missed the entire 2017 NFL season following shoulder surgery, but he came back with a vengeance in 2018.
Luck established career highs in completions (430), attempts (639), completion percentage (63.7) and passer rating (98.7). He completed touchdown passes to 13 different receivers, tying an NFL single-season record.
Who needs a fancy schedule release video when you can have THIS? ? pic.twitter.com/47Bub45Big
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 18, 2019
Luck was aided by an offensive line that allowed a league-low 18 sacks. That group posted an NFL-best six games without allowing a single sack. Luck was voted the 2018 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and selected to the Pro Bowl.
Colts’ Rookies Impressed
No team gained more instant productivity for its rookie crop than Indianapolis. Indy’s 2018 draft class combined to play in 133 regular season games (67 starts) and 18 postseason games (nine starts).
This group was spearheaded by guard/center Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard.
They joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers of the 1965 Chicago Bears as the only pair of rookie teammates to be selected First Team All-Pro since All-Pro selections were initiated in 1940.
Darius Leonard tied for first among rookie LBs in terms of most run stops last year pic.twitter.com/tc4gqN4AHV
— PFF (@PFF) April 18, 2019
Leonard, who led the NFL with 160 tackles, was also named Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Lots Of Reasons To Like Indy
The Colts’ defense was one of just three units that did not allow a 100-yard rusher during regular season play last year. Eric Ebron established a franchise record for tight ends with 13 TD receptions. First-year head coach Frank Reich was also named AFC Coach of the Year.
You forgot? Let me remind you as I do it again. #YearSix @Colts pic.twitter.com/5vuArIRnrl
— Eric Ebron (@Ebron85) April 18, 2019
Additionally, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is one of four NFL players to catch at least 50 passes in each of the past seven seasons, and kicker Adam Vinatieri recorded 100 points for an NFL-record 21st consecutive season.
The Deep South
The Texans (five), Colts (four) and Jaguars (one) have split the last 10 AFC South titles. Tennessee hasn’t won the division since 2008.
Trust.
Toughness.
Team.#MondayMotivation from Coach Reich during the first team meeting of the year. pic.twitter.com/R02OCWvfwU— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 23, 2019
The Titans are rebuilding. The Jaguars appear to be regressing, hoping to solve their offensive woes with the addition of Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles. The Texans struggle to protect QB DeShaun Watson, and that’s a recipe for disaster in the NFL.
All signs point to the Indianapolis Colts galloping to the AFC South title this season.
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.
