NFL Thursday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The undefeated Indianapolis Colts (13-0) have a chance to take one more step towards greatness Thursday when they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars (7-6). For the home underdog, the win is equally important, but for a different set of reasons; like making the playoffs.

NFL Odds:

Line: Colts -3

Over/Under: 41.5

Jacksonville missed the post-season party last year and was labelled as one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. When Sportsbook Online posted win totals and odds for the Jags to improve this season the projections were much more modest and the team has responded positively.

Following a 41-0 loss at Seattle in Week 6 the Jags have played their best football since 2007, going 5-3 SU and at least putting themselves in position to make a charge at one of two AFC Wild Card spots. The Jaguars will make the playoffs as a wild-card team if they beat the Colts, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns in their final three games.

Okay, if the first two teams on that list suddenly made you cross the Jags off your playoff party invite list, consider that Indianapolis has one of the longest injury reports in the entire league right now. HC Jim Caldwell has publicly announced that he is treating this game just like any of the first 13 Indy has won this year, but keep in mind, the guy is a rookie. What else can he possibly say?

QB Peyton Manning and all of his receivers will take the field for the final Thursday night game of the year but there is no guarantee they will be out there for the full 60 minutes. On defense we can expect to see DE Dwight Freeney and LBs Clint Sessions and Gary Brackett along with safety Antoine Bethea for much of the first-half but Caldwell has been with the Colts through all of their success the past decade and knows that being healthy for a run to the Super Bowl is far more important than a perfect regular season record.

As for the Patriots and Browns, well, Jacksonville better concentrate on taking this one day at a time. The drama coming out of New England right now is already serving as a big enough distraction for Tom Brady and his crew.

The Jaguars need to be focused on cutting down the number of mental mistakes that were so common last week against the Dolphins because there is little margin for error available. Dropped passes and penalties are what cost the Tennessee Titans in Week 13 at Indy and even if Manning doesn’t plan to finish the game, it doesn’t take him long to capitalize on a mistake.

Jacksonville is the least penalized defense in the NFL and playing in their final home game of the season, which also happens to be their third straight at home, the opportunity for betting on the Jags to keep their playoff hopes alive still exists.

Sportsbook Online SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting balanced action on this game, with 56% of the volume on the road favorite Colts. This would be higher if the speculation wasn’t about a short game for some of the key Indy players. Hard to be on a team when you don’t know if Manning, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, etc. will be on the bench in the 4^th quarter.

The Over/Under has come down a point or two since opening at 43, as again, the sports betting public feel the Colts might rest key players. The betting trends show that all five Thursday Night Football games this season so far have stayed under the posted total.

I look at this game and like the home underdog. I think if they limit mistakes, they can stay close and have a great shot at the upset win. So I’m playing a unit on the Jaguars.

Good luck and enjoy the game.

Check out Sportsbook Online for Thursday Night Football Odds.

NFL Thursday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

Is it too soon to tag this as a must-win for the Steelers….I suggest absolutely not. A loss here would be devastating for the defending champs.

NFL Thursday Night Football Betting: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

The Steelers don’t want to be reminded about how many times they’ve beaten Cleveland the past five years. For all they’re concerned this matchup has the importance of a playoff game. Pittsburgh is one of four AFC teams with a 6-6 record on the season and of those four they are by far in the worst slump.

The latest of those four straight losses – a 27-24 home defeat in which they surrendered 21 fourth quarter points to the Oakland Raiders – may have stung the most. Everyone is sharing the blame, but it’s been who’s not in the lineup more than who is, that seems like the biggest problem.



Without Troy Polamalu the Steelers are 2-5 this season and now it looks like he may not return at all this year. For a pass rush that’s struggled, taking away their playmaker has left the Steelers secondary vulnerable and no one has stepped up in Polamalu’s absence.

Cleveland QB Brady Quinn will make his first career start against Pittsburgh and with nothing to lose, we can expect to see the Browns attack with the deep ball to test a defense on a short week of preparation. The Steelers rush defense has allowed 92.5 yards per game during this four-game slump, nearly 40-percent more than the team’s first half numbers, but Cleveland’s run-by-committee ground game has yet to appoint a proven leader.

Online sportsbooks have been under pressure from bettors hitting the Total on this game. The number opened at 36 but with money pouring in on the “Under”, it has moved down to 33.5 at many sportsbooks. The reason is a combo of a bad weather forecast and the fact neither offense is clicking. Pittsburgh will likely be missing their top receiver in Hines Ward, Big Ben is fresh off that concussion and the Brown offense is, well…the Brown offense.

SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting almost 70% of the money wagered on the Total has been placed on the “Under”.

Looking at the Football Betting action on the side, it has been Pittsburgh money all the way. Laying 10-points, clearly bettors are hoping that QB Ben Roethlisberger will still find success against a Browns secondary that was shredded for 394 passing yards last week by San Diego.

Big Ben admitted this week that although the light is small at the end of what looks like a very long tunnel, his team is still confident.

The Browns will need to perform above their normal level if they hope to win this game straight-up and the NFL’s 29th ranked run defense will be under pressure all day. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 103 yards against Oakland but it was his first time hitting triple-digits since the team’s Week 9 win at Denver.

Pittsburgh’s back is up against the wall and while I see a win, I’m not comfortable laying double digits with this current Steeler team.

I do like the “Over” though, going against the sports betting public. I expect the Steelers to score 20-plus, but I also think this Cleveland offense opens the playbook up more this week and starts to stretch the field.

Good luck and enjoy the Thursday nighter.

You can check all the NFL Thursday Night Football Odds