New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts Saturday Night Football Betting Preview

The NFL brings Saturday action back in Week 15, with a marquee matchup between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts slated to happen that night. New England enters this matchup as the hottest team in the NFL, riding a seven-game win streak. But the Colts come into this matchup as 2.5-point favorites, as they look to stay in the race for a playoff spot with a big win against a conference foe.

New England Patriots

New England has won seven straight games, with their most recent victory perhaps being their most impressive. The Patriots won a defensive battle against the Buffalo Bills, passing the ball just three times in a game where high winds decimated the passing attacks of both sides. This week, the Patriots will be competing indoors, where their offense and the offense of their opponents will be able to play freely.

The Patriots will hope to stop the run to pick up an eighth straight win on Saturday night. New England is in the middle of the pack in yards per carry on defense and will be tested against Jonathan Taylor and the Colts’ rushing attack. The key to defending against the Colts is stopping the run on early downs and forcing Carson Wentz to put the ball in the air in predictable passing downs, which Bill Belichick will look to orchestrate.

Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis started this season with a 1-4 record but have won six of their last eight games to get back above .500. The Colts shut the Houston Texans out 31-0 in their last game and came off of their bye week just a week ago. Now, in a crowded AFC playoff picture, the Colts will look to move ahead of several teams with 7-6 records before the Sunday slate begins to put pressure on the rest of the field.

If the Colts are going to notch an important win here, they will need a solid performance from Carson Wentz. Wentz, to his credit, has thrown just five interceptions this season despite having a reputation of being a turnover-prone quarterback. He will need to avoid reverting back to his old ways in this game against a Patriots defense that is known for bringing out the weaknesses of their opponents.

Keys To The Game

For the Patriots, the main key to this game will be the performance of Mac Jones. New England only asked him to put the ball in the air three times in their last game and will be asked to do a lot more in this contest indoors. He has been accurate throughout the season but will have to stretch the field to keep the Colts’ defense from pressing down on the run and short routes.

On the Colts side, the biggest key to this game will be its running game. Everyone on both sides of the ball will know that the primary objective for the Colts will be to run the ball on offense. The question will be whether or not the Colts can run block effectively enough to move the ball even when the Patriots know it’s coming.