Two of the NFL's best offenses meet up on Thursday night as the
Indianapolis Colts head to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers in a
game that should produce fireworks.
Both teams are expected to play their starters a fair
amount - maybe even into the second half - which is why the sportsbook odds
makers have set the highest total of the week for this game (43.5).
The Indianapolis Colts don't bring it very often in the preseason, but
they usually do in Week 3. Is that enough for bettors to bank on to get the
cover?
Indianapolis Colts
@ Green Bay Packers - Get the Matchup
NFL Preseason Odds: Packers -3.5 which are currently available at Bookmaker, but hurry these lines will change, you can get all the latest odds at SBR odds.
Quarterback
Rotations
There are no quarterback questions or concerns on either
side here. We're going to see Peyton Manning play the most that he's played yet
this preseason, then Curtis Painter will come in, followed by Tim Hiller and
Tom Brandstater.
Painter looked good in his last game, going five-of-six
for 97 yards and a touchdown after throwing three interceptions in the
preseason opener.
Meanwhile, the Packers will start with Aaron Rodgers,
move to Matt Flynn and then Graham Harrell. Harrell isn't likely to see much
action at all.
This is a fairly even quarterbacking matchup.
Roster
Competitions & Team Depth
The Colts roster is set and the only real openings are
for backup sports. Their main battles in practice this week are for the backup
tight end job, backup cornerback jobs and fifth-string wide receiver and of course they are looking to minimize the injuries.
For Green Bay Packers, it's pretty much the same. Their battles
are a little bit more urgent, but their main openings are punter and left
guard, where Daryn Colledge and first-round pick Bryan Bulaga are battling it
out.
There isn't much urgency on either side to see what the backups
do in this game - or any of the preseason, for that matter. It's not a surprise
as both teams were in the playoffs last year.
Motivation
The Colts have traditionally tried their best in Week 3
of the preseason in the Peyton Manning era, so that is what we'll expect this
week. Meanwhile, the Packers are just 7-10 in preseason action under head coach
Mike McCarthy and their only winning week is actually Week 2.
Both teams know their identities, rotations and goals, so
there's no extra carrot or moral victories here for either side.
Outlook:
Under Tony Dungy, the Indianapolis Colts were just 5-18
in Weeks 1, 2 and 4 in the preseason but 5-2 in Week 3. While they lost in Week
3 in the 2009 preseason (Jim Caldwell's first year coaching), we'll bank on a
healthy effort this week. As a three point underdog on the road, there's no
reason why their potent offense won't score enough points to get ahead early
and hold on in as the backups play out the second half.
NFL Free Pick: Colts +3.5