Ricky Dimon
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Last year the Indianapolis Colts boasted one of the best running backs in football in addition to a stout defense, but it wasn’t enough to win the AFC South or even make the playoffs. Now they have what they think is a winning quarterback to go along with the rest of their parts.
Will the injection of Matt Ryan into the offense propel Indianapolis to where it wants to go? The division is certainly not the best in the NFL, so the door is open for Ryan and company to do some damage. With the 2022 season a month away, it’s time to make some projections for the Colts.
Indianapolis Colts breakdown
2021 record: 9-8
2021 ATS record: 10-7
2021 O/U record: 8-9
Key players in: Matt Ryan (QB), Yannick Ngakoue (DE), Stephon Gilmore (CB), Nick Foles (QB), Phillip Lindsay (RB)
Key players out: Carson Wentz (QB), TY Hilton (WR), Xavier Rhodes (CB), Eric Fisher (OT), Mark Glowinski (G), Marlon Mack (RB)
2022 NFL Draft class: Alec Pierce (WR), Jelani Woods (TE), Bernhard Raimann (OT), Nick Cross (S), Eric Johnson (DT), Andrew Ogletree (TE), Curtis Brooks (DT), Rodney Thomas II (S)
Indianapolis Colts 2022 NFL season odds
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl odds
The Colts are +2200 to win Super Bowl LVII, which has them tied with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals as 10th favorites.
Indianapolis Colts AFC Championship odds
Indianapolis is +1200 to capture the AFC title, making it the 7th choice in the conference. The Buffalo Bills are +300 favorites, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs (+600) and Los Angeles Chargers (+750).
Indianapolis Colts AFC South odds
At -135 odds, the Colts are favored to win the AFC South. The Tennessee Titans come in close behind at +170, while the Jacksonville Jaguars (+800) and Houston Texans (+3000) bring up the rear.
Indianapolis Colts win total odds
The Colts’ win quota is 10 games. Under 10 is a slight -115 favorite, while the over comes with +105 odds. As for making the playoffs, Indianapolis is a -190 favorite. It is +150 to miss the playoffs.
Head to our NFL Odds page for odds on all the main NFL betting markets
Indianapolis Colts Schedule 2022
at Houston Texans, September 11
at Jacksonville Jaguars, September 18
vs Kansas City Chiefs, September 25
vs Tennessee Titans, October 2
at Denver Broncos, October 6
vs Jacksonville Jaguars, October 16
at Tennessee Titans, October 23
vs Washington Commanders, October 30
at New England Patriots, November 6
at Las Vegas Raiders, November 13
vs Philadelphia Eagles, November 20
at Pittsburgh Steelers, November 28
at Dallas Cowboys, December 4
BYE
at Minnesota Vikings, December 18
vs Los Angeles Chargers, December 26
at New York Giants, January 1
vs Houston Texans, January 8
We’ll have NFL picks for EVERY matchup of the 2022 season
Indianapolis Colts 2021 season recap
The end of last season was an unmitigated disaster for the Colts, who were 9-6 heading into the final two weeks and in great shape to secure a wild-card spot. Losses in their last two games, however, put a stop to those hopes. It was the way in which they lost that was especially brutal. First the Colts fell at home to Las Vegas and then – worst of all – they were eliminated from contention by none other than Jacksonville. Carson Wentz threw for only 185 yards and committed 2 turnovers during a 26-11 upset.
Wentz finished year with 27 TD passes compared to only 7 interceptions, but 4 of those picks came in the final 6 games. Indianapolis’ late collapse wasted a 2021 campaign in which Jonathan Taylor won the rushing title by a country mile with 1,811 yards to go along with 18 touchdowns.
Read our Super Bowl 57 predictions and best bets, including a +4500 longshot
Indianapolis Colts 2022 NFL season predictions
Will Ryan help the Colts rebound in 2022? It’s very possible. Of course, it’s not like it’s all up to him; nor should it be. The former Atlanta Falcons QB is 37 years old and no longer in his MVP-winning prime. However, he is still between average and good and led Atlanta to 7 wins last season even though that team had one of the worst rosters in football. In Indianapolis he will have much more help, starting with Taylor in the backfield. The pass-catching corps is a question mark, but Mo Alie-Cox is a reliable red-zone weapon and rookie Alec Pierce has already impressed in camp. Indy was 9th in the league in scoring defense last year and should be even better in 2022 after stockpiling talent during the offseason.
Best bet: Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC South (-135)
You might think that Tennessee is favored to win the AFC South since it comfortably prevailed last year at 12-5 and snagged the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. However, that would be incorrect. Indianapolis is the favorite to triumph and even a -135 price is not bad value. The tide very well could be turning, as I would take Ryan (Matt) over Ryan (Tannehill) any day of the week – and twice on Sundays. Ryan’s supporting cast is just as good if not better than Tannehill’s, so I will happily back the Colts to bag their first division title since 2014.
Indianapolis Colts season record predictions
It may not require a Herculean effort to win the AFC South; 10-7 could be good enough to get the job done. That’s the mark I’m going with, although I would be less surprised by 11-6 than I would be by 9-8. Thus I like over 10 for the Colts, as well, because at the very least that bet should push. But I like the AFC South play the most.
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