Two teams looking to snap losing skids will head to Germany this week for the NFL’s International Series. The Atlanta Falcons (3-5) are the designated visiting squad that will face off against the “home” team, the Indianapolis Colts (7-2), on Sunday morning.
Atlanta has lost three straight games, including a 24-23 heartbreaker against the New England Patriots last week. Before this skid, the Falcons owned an impressive win over the Buffalo Bills, defeating the Super Bowl contender 24-14 last month.
The Colts also enter this game with a loss in their last outing. Indianapolis dropped a road contest to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-20 as the Colts coughed up the football six times last week.
Indianapolis made headlines earlier this week, acquiring the New York Jets’ Sauce Gardner for multiple first-round picks. Will the new-look Colts defense stifle the Falcons? We’ll cover that and provide individuals with our top three player props for Sunday’s International Series contest.
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones is in line for multiple postseason awards. In leading the Colts to a 7-2 start, the 6-foot-5 signal-caller has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,404 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
Incredibly, only one quarterback has thrown for more than 205 yards against the Falcons this season. That’s an indictment against Atlanta’s rushing defense. It’s also a strong indication that Jones will not be asked to carry the team with his arm; take the under on his passing prop total.
Last week, Atlanta wide receiver Drake London was the toast of the town. The 6-foot-4 athlete caught nine of his 14 targets for 118 yards and three touchdowns against the Patriots. The historic performance was the third time he’s amassed over 100 receiving yards in his last four outings.
Now, he and the Falcons will turn their attention to the Colts. Indianapolis has allowed four receivers to top the 70-yard mark this season. London will add his name to that list, too, and cover this player prop bet.
The NFL’s leading rusher is heading to Germany! Indianapolis has featured running back Jonathan Taylor this season, and he’s amassed 895 yards on 157 carries. Taylor has also scored 12 rushing touchdowns this season.
Opponents are running the football effectively against the Falcons. Atlanta has only allowed one running back – San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey – to top the century mark this season. Still, running backs have amassed at least 90 yards in every game since Week 3. Expect Taylor to be a workhorse in Germany, securing enough yards to cover this prop bet total.
If this were a true home game for the Colts, oddsmakers would have made this 6.5-point spread even larger. Indianapolis looks like a team that could make significant noise in the playoffs this season, while the Falcons are struggling to find their offensive foothold.
As a bonus, bettors should take the under on the total points scored. In Atlanta’s eight games, only one contest has surpassed the combined 48.5-point mark this season. The remainder have been comfortably under that total, and this early-morning contest should continue that trend.