Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Matchup Preview (10/31/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Matchup Preview (10/31/21)

It was a very good week for two AFC South teams. The Tennessee Titans had a major statement win over the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, the team didn’t just beat the Chiefs, they steamrolled them. Tennessee cruised 27-3 as the team held former MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes to just 206 yards with no scores and a pick. The Titans have now knocked off two of the best AFC teams in two weeks as they’ve beaten both the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Tennessee might have started the year off with a blowout loss against the Arizona Cardinals, but they’re 5-1 ever since and look like a legitimate contender. 

The Indianapolis Colts are starting to get things rolling as well. The team is coming off a dominant 30-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers in heavy rain, and are stringing together some wins after a gut-wrenching primetime loss to the Baltimore Ravens weeks ago. Sitting at 3-4, the Colts face a tough task when the Tennessee Titans come to town. Here’s what you should expect for this Halloween matchup.

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Betting Odds

Raise your hand if you had the Titans going 2-0 against the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in consecutive weeks. If you did, you’re a liar. The Titans are clicking right now from top to bottom, and this week presents a great opportunity to make a leap in the AFC South race. The Titans will need more from the passing game down the stretch, but they’ve shown they can win games without airing it out all day. 

I’m not sure if I’m sold on the Colts as a contender quite yet. Yes, they’re coming off some big wins, but beating a lackluster Houston Texans squad and a disappointing San Francisco 49ers team doesn’t make you top-tier in my book. I believe Indy will be competitive this year, but they’ve got a lot of work to do, especially defensively, before I see them as a dangerous team. It will be close at times, but the Colts will struggle to contain Derrick Henry and the offense, and that will make all the difference. Lay the points with the traveling Titans as the team starts a surprising 6-2. 

My predictions: Titans win 24-21, Titans -1.5, under 51 points

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, October 31
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
TV Coverage: CBS

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Live Stream

Where can you watch (Team 1 Nickname) vs. (Team 2 Nickname) online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch (Team 1 Nickname) vs. (Team 2 Nickname) Free Online Now.

Injuries

Tennessee Titans: LB Monty Rice (groin) Q, WR Chester Rogers (groin) Q, OT Taylor Lewan (concussion) Q, S Amani Hooker (groin) Q, OT Kendall Lamm (ankle) Q, CB Caleb Farley (knee) IR, WR Cameron Batson (knee) IR, CB Kristian Fulton (hamstring) IR
Indianapolis Colts: CB Rock Ya-Sin (ankle) Q, OT Braden Smith (foot/thumb) Q, DE Kemoko Turay (groin) Q, RB Jordan Wilkins (illness) Q, WR T.Y. Hilton (quad) Q, CB BoPete Keyes (undisclosed) Q, S Julian Blackmon (Achilles) IR, DE Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles) O, WR Dezmon Patmon (foot) IR

Tennessee Titans Analysis

This offense completely hinges on powerful running back Derrick Henry. That’s not a bad thing at all, it’s just a rare occurrence in the modern NFL. Sunday’s big win over Kansas City showed that the Titans don’t need Henry to power for 120+ yards per game to win. Henry finished with 86 rushing yards and a surprisingly low 3.0 average. However, he did throw a touchdown, which I’m sure delighted fantasy owners everywhere. As long as he’s on the field, Henry is a threat.

WR A.J. Brown is hitting his stride. In the past two weeks, Brown has totaled 224 yards and a score. He’s connecting with quarterback Ryan Tannehill much better than earlier in the season, and that’s going to present a threat to anyone Tennessee faces off against. Speaking of Tannehill, he’s going to need to do a bit more if the Titans will make a legitimate playoff run. The passer hasn’t had multiple touchdowns in over a month, and that’s not sustainable even with Henry in the backfield. 

The Titans defense seems to finally be getting things together. The unit had a reputation as one of the weakest in the league going into the season, but has just held two of the conference’s best offensive attacks off to get a few wins. The pass rush for the team has been spectacular so far, with a total of 17 sacks. Talented LB Harold Landry III is currently the team leader with 7.5 sacks. If they can keep on the pressure and let the offense do its thing, the Titans will navigate far into the playoffs. 

Tennessee Titans Depth Chart

QB: Ryan Tannehill
RB1: Derrick Henry 
RB2: Jeremy McNichols
WR1: Chester Rodgers
WR2: Julio Jones
WR3: A.J. Brown
TE1: Anthony Firkser

Indianapolis Colts Analysis

The Colts were easily on pace to have a disastrous start to the season. However, since an 0-3 start in which the team was dealing with numerous injuries, the Indianapolis looks to be turning things around. The team is coming off two straight double-digit wins, thanks in part to the smart play of QB Carson Wentz. The former Philly QB has played much better than expected this season, throwing 11 TDs and a single pick. The passer has had two touchdowns with no picks in four straight games, and hasn’t thrown to the other team since September 19th. 

Running back Jonathan Taylor is always going to present a threat to opposing defenses. The running back is averaging 82.7 rushing yards per game with an amazing 5.5 average and five TDs. The Colts receivers have been contributing as well, led by Michael Pittman Jr. with 508 yards and two TDs. I was skeptical about the offense this year, but it looks like there’s something special coming together in Indy.

Meanwhile, the Colts defense has been a bit disappointing as a whole this season, as they’re currently allowing 354.1 yards per game. That’s a step back from last year, and the defense will need to get back in 2020 form if the Colts want to punch their ticket to the playoffs again. DT DeForest Buckner is finally stepping up after recording zero sacks to start the season. He’s dropped the opposing QB in two straight weeks, and his presence will be needed as they face often-explosive offenses as they will this weekend.

Indianapolis Colts Depth Chart

QB: Carson Wentz
RB1: Jonathan Taylor
RB2: Nyheim Hines
WR1: Michael Pittman Jr. 
WR2: Zach Pascal
WR3: T.Y. Hilton
TE1: Mo Alie-Cox

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Daily Fantasy Picks

I’m a big fan of Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox. To perfectly celebrate National Tight Ends Day, the receiver found the end zone for the second straight week against the 49ers. In fact, Alie-Cox has had four touchdowns in the past four games, and it looks like Wentz has found his new end zone target. Alie-Cox is only listed at $3,200 on DraftKings, so there’s plenty of value as a FLEX player or an inexpensive tight end so you can manage your salary cap elsewhere.