Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans Prediction: Is Charlie Wright?
Is Charlie Wright? explores one NFL bet each week based on a major decision point. Ideally, this article will lay out a case for the bet in a thorough manner, giving the reader the opportunity to either agree with the perspective and tail the bet or disagree with the breakdown and fade the pick.
Alright, one week in the books. I’m going to start each article by briefly looking back at last week’s picks, including the Twitter poll. I’ll keep a record of the main pick, the poll, and the props as well.
Was Charlie Wright?
Yessir. Packers ML came through without much of a sweat, and Jordan Love did a solid job leading Green Bay’s offense. As for Love vs. Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Packers’ 38 points would’ve been their second-most last season. They topped 30 points just three times.
Does the Chicago defense stink? Yep. But they stunk last year, too, and Green Bay didn’t drop 30+ points on them. There is a long way to go, but the early returns for Love are promising.
I split the prop picks. JK Dobbins getting hurt was tough, but he was going to have a hard time getting there anyways. Ryan Tannehill was dreadful, easy under for his passing yards.
How about the public?
Introducing a new weekly NFL article called Is Charlie Wright?
Chuck_Wright5</a> will break down one bet each week based on a key decision point. Whether you agree with his take or not, you should have enough insight to make an informed decision.<br><br>So ... Is Charlie Wright?</p>— RotoGrinders (RotoGrinders) September 8, 2023
Tough start. Only 13 votes, though. We need some more participation this week!
Records after Week 1
- Charlie: 1-0
- Prop Picks: 1-1
- The Public: 0-1
Week 2 Pick: Colts -1 (-110 on Fanatics)
Reason: Anthony Richardson is a viable passer and will be able to engineer a competent offense.
Richardson’s Week 1 performance was more than even his most ardent supporters could’ve hoped for, at least from a passing perspective. He completed 24-of-37 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. The Colts were conservative throwing the football, and the touchdown was a screen pass that Michael Pittman took to the house, but still. That’ll do, Anthony.
We didn’t see huge rushing numbers for Richardson against Jacksonville, but that will be there. If he’s completing around 65% of his passes, this could be a solid offense. Richardson certainly did enough to win last week. Two fumbles and a brutal yards-per-carry outing from Deon Jackson made it tough, and Indianapolis got a gift defensive touchdown on a play where everyone had stopped playing, but they had the lead heading into the 4th quarter.
Houston certainly doesn’t have Jacksonville’s firepower. They failed to find the end zone against Baltimore in what was a rough debut for CJ Stroud, who took five sacks and lost a fumble. The Texans’ defense did hold Lamar Jackson to 169 yards through the air, but he only threw 22 times and got loose for 38 rushing yards on just six attempts.
Richardson showed enough in Week 1 to confidently back him and the Colts in this road spot as slight favorites.
PICK: Colts -1 (-110 on Fanatics Sportsbook)
NFL Player Props for Week 2
James Cook Over 50.5 Rushing Yards (-114 on FanDuel)
The final line was disappointing, but the role was there for Cook in Week 1. He played 59% of the snaps and handled 12-of-15 running back carries. Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine combined for 93 yards on 21 carries last week. Vegas was a below-average rushing defense in 2022. Cook should have a positive game script and it looks like he’s going to dominate this backfield.
Russell Wilson Under 227.5 Passing Yards (-115 on DraftKings)
Denver’s passing attack was quite conservative in Week 1. Wilson had a hefty 79% completion rate, but just 5.2 yards per attempt (24th in the league). Only two of his 34 attempts went 20+ yards.
The Commanders’ pass rush harassed Joshua Dobbs all day, sacking him three times and limiting him to 114 passing yards. Denver will likely look to attack on the ground and continue to play it safe through the air, especially as slight favorites at home.
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