The Indianapolis Colts are favored to beat the Washington Commanders this Sunday in London.
It took a handful of weeks, but the Indianapolis Colts enter a game as the favorites to win.
The Colts (1-2) are in London this week to take on the Washington Commanders (1-2) on Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network). FanDuel Sportsbook has the Colts as 3.5-point favorites, with a point over/under of 47.5:
- SPREAD: Colts -3.5 (-115) | Commanders +3.5 (-105)
- MONEY: Colts -220 | Commanders +184
- TOTAL: Over 47.5 (-115) | Under 48.5 (-105)
- Betting lines are as of Friday afternoon (Oct. 2)
The Colts have been pregame underdogs in their three previous matchups against the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Houston Texans, but after getting their first win of the season last week at home against the Texans, the Colts have earned a little more faith.
Quarterback Daniel Jones did a better job handling pressure than in the last several games, dating back to last season. He was 6-of-8 passing (75.0%) when blitzed for 42 yards. He did, however, turn the ball over three times (two fumbles, one interception), which has been an ongoing issue. He has five through the first three games.
The Commanders will be quarterbacked by Marcus Mariota for the second consecutive game after starter Jayden Daniels (elbow) was ruled out again on Friday morning. Mariota won his only start last week against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. In the game-plus that he's filled in for Daniels, Mariota has gone 30-of-47 passing (63.8%) for 294 yards (6.3 YPA), four touchdowns, and no interceptions, and was sacked twice, for a passer rating of 109.7. Mariota has also carried the ball six times for 14 yards (2.3 avg.) and has fumbled once.
The Colts' run game has been good overall this year, although the Texans' defense sold out to prevent Jonathan Taylor from dominating them last week. He's averaging 86.0 yards per game on the ground so far and has scored four touchdowns.
Washington's rushing attack hasn't quite taken hold yet. Their 132.0 yards per game ranks eighth in the NFL, but their 4.1 yards per carry ties for 16th. Despite the pedestrian rush average, the Commanders' offensive line is tied for allowing the second-fewest sacks (three).
In the defensive front seven, Washington blitzes at a very high rate, with their 46.6% ranking second only to the Minnesota Vikings (72.9%). Despite this, the Commanders rank tied for 24th in sacks (fifth), suggesting they may be blitzing out of necessity to generate any pass rush.
The Colts' seven sacks are middle of the road, tied for 12th. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner leads the way with 3.0.
The Colts' run defense is a complete mystery. They were gashed for 177.0 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry in the first two weeks, but settled down to just 70 yards and 3.3 yards per carry last week.
