(OddsShark.com) The Indianapolis Colts will be looking to avenge their loss in last season’s AFC Championship Game and end a six-game straight-up losing streak against New England when they host the Patriots on Sunday night as 10-point betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Colts have finally gotten their season on track after opening with a pair of stunning losses to the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets, posting three straight SU victories, including last week’s 27-20 win over Houston. That result also earned them their first win of the season against the spread, as they downed the Texans while pegged as 4.5-point underdogs.
Indianapolis has been getting it done despite being without star quarterback Andrew Luck, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since the club’s 35-33 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.
Luck had struggled before suffering the injury, tossing seven interceptions against just five touchdown passes.
Veteran Matt Hasselbeck has run the offense in Luck’s absence, but after throwing in practice on Thursday there looks to be an increasing likelihood that the 26-year-old will return to action in Sunday’s Patriots vs. Colts betting matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.
That is welcome news for the Colts, who were pummeled 45-7 by New England in last season’s AFC Championship Game and have averaged just 19.8 points per game this season.
The Patriots roll into Indianapolis after another dominant performance last week, crushing the hobbled Dallas Cowboys by a 30-6 score. The SU victory was New England’s seventh straight, and improved them to 5-0-1 ATS in their past six games according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
Quarterback Tom Brady has clearly left his offseason troubles behind him, throwing for 11 touchdowns over the Patriots’ first four outings and leading the NFL with a 121.5 passer rating and 347 passing yards per game.
New England also sits third in the league in points scored with 149 despite playing just four games so far this season, and have claimed victory in their four contests by an average margin of over 18 points.
The Patriots have also dominated Indianapolis in recent meetings, winning six straight while picking up ATS victories in each of their last four. However the Colts are 3-1 SU in their last four at home against New England.