The first football Sunday of the 2024 NFL season is here, with the Houston Texans heading north to meet the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 action .
The Texans enter 2024 after being arguably the surprise package in the entire NFL last season. Coming off of a three-win season, Houston — led by first-year coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback CJ Stroud — would have welcomed any sort of progress. Instead, Houston won the AFC South before clobbering the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the playoffs.
An aggressive offseason involving the addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Joe Mixon and defensive end Danielle Hunter means the Texans aren't just satisfied with that big leap forward.
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Indianapolis finished third in the AFC South, but at 9-8 were just one game behind the Texans. The Colts are looking for revenge after a dramatic Week 18 loss sent Houston to the playoffs. The Colts largely focused on keeping the band together, re-signing four key defensive starters. With quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor healthy after missing most of last season, the idea in Indy is that the team was already close to being a playoff-caliber bunch.
Texans vs. Colts odds, moneyline, over/under
The Texans are favored to pick up a road win per BetMGM NFL odds .
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- Spread: Titans (-3)
- Moneyline: Titans (-160), Colts (+130)
- Over/under: 49 points
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NFL Week 1 odds, predictions and picks
USA TODAY: Texans 24, Colts 22
Jordan Mendoza writes: "Houston has all the momentum in the world to propel it toward another division title. The offense will be exciting to watch, but the Colts also have a plethora of talent going under the radar. Expect this game to come down to the very end, with the Texans sneaking out of Indianapolis with a victory."
Brent Sobleski writes: "The Texans should hit the ground running with C.J. Stroud fully integrated after a full offseason, plus the addition of Stefon Diggs at wide receiver. Last season, Stroud shredded the Indianapolis secondary to the tune of 648 yards and four touchdowns. The Colts did nothing to improve upon that unit."
CBS Sports : Colts 24, Texans 23
Pete Prisco writes: "This is a rematch of the game the Texans won in Week 18 to get to the playoffs last year. The Colts didn't have Anthony Richardson in that one, but he's back now at quarterback. C.J. Stroud will build on his 2023 rookie season, but opening on the road is tough. The Colts will hang around here and find a way to win it late.
Marcus Mosher writes: "This will be another tough battle, but with Anthony Richardson lacking experience and injuries galore on defense, we should expect the Colts to struggle on offense out of the gate. This game could go either way but expect the Texans to ultimately win as they have all the pieces to become a juggernaut in the AFC."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts: Predictions and latest odds for NFL Week 1 game
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