Indianpolis Colts Predictions & 2008 NFL Betting Picks

July 4, 2008


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By Brad Marchetti

The 2008 Indianapolis Colts will be aiming for their sixth straight season with 12+ wins, and with 20 of 22 starters returning from last year’s 13-3 team Indy’s chances look pretty good. Being the class of the AFC South, the Colts are expected to do better than last year’s one and done performance in the playoffs. The Colts were hit by injuries to their best two players on defense, Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders, along with top wideout Marvin Harrison, so those players return to health is crucial. As long as Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy are at the controls, Indy  will remain the team to beat in the AFC South. With a schedule that is the toughest in Tony Dungy’s tenure, reaching 12 wins for a sixth straight season will be a challenge for the Colts however. The division has improved and keeping the Jacksonville Jaguars off their tail will be harder than ever. The Indianapolis Colts NFL betting line to win the AFC South is at 5-9 odds.

The Colts high powered offense is led by offensive coordinator Tom Moore who is an expert at exploiting defenses with his multiple attacks. Moore has an abundance of talent at his disposal that he creates mismatches with throughout games. Peyton Manning is going to be 32 in March and he is still the games best quarterback. Manning is the best in the NFL at making pre-snap reads. Manning knows how to use one of  the most dangerous 1-2 wide receiver punches in the NFL with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. The Colts also expect a big season from second year slot receiver Anthony Gonzales who finished last season on a high-note after some early struggles. Tight end Dallas Clark is a mismatch for most linebackers and safeties but he must rebound after a sub-par season where he had too many drops. The offensive line didn’t protect Manning as effective as in year’s past and the Colts relied too  heavily on their air attack. The Colts need  some young talent to step in and step up on a still solid O-line that is one of the better units in the NFL. Running back Joseph Addai is an excellent runner and receiver out of the back field but he gets nicked up and Dominic Rhodes will be counted for support as the backup. The I ndianapolis Colts season wins OVER\UNDER betting proposition is at 11 wins with the OVER at -115.

The Colts defense relies on speed and aggression and it seems that Tony Dungy keeps making his defense better and better each year. Indy is an undersized cover-2 defense that has two legitimate superstars in defensive end Dwight Freeney and safety Bob Sanders. On the opposite side of Freeney on the defensive line is a dangerous pass-rusher in Robert Mathis. Despite the potent 1-2 punch of Freeney and Mathis the Colts are thin on depth and are only average at defensive tackle. The linebacking corps is a fast undersized group with outside linebacker Tyjuan Hagler emerging as a player with pro-bowl potential. Middle linebacker Gary Brackett is the leader with great instincts and quickness that allowed him to lead the defense with 120 tackles. Outside linebacker Freddy Keiaho made fans forget about the departure of Cato June with his aggressiveness and sideline to sideline play.

Teammates feed off of All-pro safety Bob Sanders intensity, bone crunching hits and excellent pass-defense. Cornerbacks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are big, physical players that also excel in run support. The Colts have major concerns on special teams were their coverage teams have given up an alarming 8 TD’s in the last two years. The Colts have talented and fast special teams players and the poor performance of the coverage units is inexcusable. The kicking game is solid but both kicker Adam Vinatieri and punter Hunter Smith need to bounce back from a sub-par year. The Colts are loaded once again but the contenders in the AFC South are closing in. The Colts will need to stay hungry to thwart the challenge that the Jacksonville Jaguars will bring to the table in the 08″ season. Despite the Jaguars attempt to dethrone the Colts expect Indy to win their 6th straight division title. The 2008 Indianapolis Colts NFL betting odds to win the 2009 Superbowl is Indianapolis +700.

2008 Indianapolis Colts NFL Betting Power Ratings

1-10 Scale

Coaching: 8
Quarterbacks: 10
Running Backs: 8
Offensive Line: 7
Receivers: 10
Defensive Line: 6
Linebackers: 8
Defensive Backs: 9
Special Teams: 6

Superbook.com Online Sports Book

Written by admin · Filed Under NFL 

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