NFL odds: Colts looking to stay relevant against Jets on Monday Night Football
The Colts (5–6) still have a shot to win the AFC South despite getting crushed by the Steelers 28–7 at home on Thanksgiving night. But the Colts can’t afford to fall again on Monday night when they visit the Jets (3–8) as 1.5-point road favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Indianapolis was forced to start Scott Tolzien at quarterback for the injured Andrew Luck (concussion) against Pittsburgh, and he had 205 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Luck is expected to return to action on Monday night against New York.
The Jets have gone 7–2 against the spread in the past nine meetings with the Colts, who trail the Houston Texans (6–5) by one game for the division lead. New York is riding a three-game losing streak and has gone just 1–4 at home this season both straight up and ATS.
The lone win for New York at MetLife Stadium came over the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens 24–16 in Week 7, although the team did play the New England Patriots tough last Sunday in a 22–17 loss.
Indianapolis has won two in a row on the road against the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans, who are also a half-game ahead in the AFC South standings. Both of those games had the Colts as underdogs though, and they have struggled in the role of road chalk recently with a 1–4 ATS mark in their past five games under that scenario.
Meanwhile, the Jets have gone 6-0-1 ATS on the NFL betting lines in their last seven games during the month of December, and head coach Todd Bowles desperately needs a victory here to keep him off the hot seat.
After going 10–6 last year with this team, a lot more was expected in 2016, at least taking another step forward and competing for a playoff spot. That’s not happening this season, so the best Bowles can do is motivate his players to finish strong and help him save his job. Upsetting Indy in this spot would be a good start.