The top two teams in the AFC South square off this weekend, as the Indianapolis Colts (3-4) play host to the Tennessee Titans (5-2). The Colts have now won two games in a row and Carson Wentz has been playing some of his best ball. As for the Titans, they are coming off of two enormous wins that came in the span of six days, as they defeated Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football," and then destroyed Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.
While the Titans have a comfortable lead in the division for now, that can change with a loss on Sunday. These two teams met back in Week 2 in Nashville, when the Titans escaped with a 25-16 victory. However, Wentz was dealing with injuries to both ankles, and was certainly not the quarterback he is now.
Before we get into this matchup, here's how you can watch on Sunday. All NFL odds come via our friends at Caesars Sportsbook.
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Oct. 31 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Colts -1.5, O/U 51
Key matchups to watch
Carson Wentz vs. Titans secondary
Wentz is playing good ball. He's had five games of two or more passing touchdowns and zero interceptions this season, which is tied with Aaron Rodgers for the most in the NFL. Even in the driving rain against the San Francisco 49ers last week, Wentz completed 17 of 26 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. has been a big help, as he caught four passes for 105 yards and one touchdown in the 30-18 win on "Sunday Night Football."
Wentz has a chance to have a big game against the Titans' secondary. While they held the Chiefs to just three points, most of the credit can be given to the pass rush or front seven. The Titans are down Kristian Fulton and Caleb Farley at cornerback while reserve corner Chris Jackson is banged up. The recently claimed Greg Mabin had to start at corner last Sunday. The Titans have the potential to win the AFC, but the one holdup in my mind is the secondary. If Wentz can take advantage of Tennessee's corners this week, the Colts can win this matchup. The Titans allow an average of 273.6 passing yards per game, which ranks ninth-worst in the league.
Titans passing attack vs. Colts defense
Usually it's Derrick Henry you have to worry about when it comes to Tennessee's offense, but the Titans showed on Sunday that their offense is more than just their Pro Bowler back. A.J. Brown has recorded his two best performances of the season in back-to-back weeks. Against the Chiefs, he caught eight passes for 133 yards and one touchdown, and had 100 yards receiving by halftime. Ryan Tannehill missed just six passes and threw for 270 yards, one touchdown and one interception. You also can't forget about Julio Jones.
Coming into this season, many looked at the Titans as having an offense where it was a "pick your poison" type of situation. Last week, we got a glimpse of that. The Colts will of course have to account for Henry, but this passing offense can hurt you as well. In 11 play-action attempts, Tannehill has completed nine of them for 173 yards for an average of 15.7 yards per attempt. Tannehill targeted Brown on five of those passes, hitting on all five for 100 yards.
Prediction
While there's a considerable amount of hype surrounding the Titans after their spanking of the Chiefs, expect this matchup to be very close. I am a bit surprised to see the Titans as technical underdogs, but that just motivates me even more to take the moneyline at +110. The Titans are the better team in my mind, so I have them winning a close, fun matchup.
Pick: Titans 30-27
