Texans vs. Colts: NFL Week 6 betting odds, preview, and pick

Both the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans suffered heart-wrenching losses in Week 5, but one will get back in the win column when they meet at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Kicking woes wreck Colts' road trip to Baltimore

A week after they earned their first win of the season in Miami, the 1-4 Colts made the trip to M&T Bank Stadium for a Monday Night Football showdown with the 4-1 Baltimore Ravens.

Still playing on two sprained ankles, quarterback Carson Wentz got off to a quick start, as he found running back Jonathan Taylor for a 76-yard touchdown pass on Indy's first possession.

The defense also stepped up against a historically dominant rushing attack and forced Baltimore to punt on every possession but one — which resulted in a field goal — before halftime.

The third quarter saw more of the same domination by the Colts. Taylor added a rushing touchdown and Wentz found Michael Pittman Jr. for a 42-yard score.

In the fourth quarter, the momentum swung.

Lamar Jackson turned it up in the final 16 minutes and found wideout Marquise Brown and tight end Mark Andrews for three scores to tie the contest, 25-25, with 39 seconds remaining.

Wentz marched his team down the field and set up one last chance to win the game, but Rodrigo Blankenship's kick went wide left for his second missed field goal of the night. 

The second-year placekicker injured his hip in pregame preparations and failed on an extra-point attempt in the third quarter, as well.

Baltimore sealed a win on the first possession of overtime, and Jackson finished with a career-high 442 passing yards and completed all but six of his 43 passes.

The Colts defense could do nothing to stop Baltimore's passing attack in the second half, but the stop unit halted the Ravens' record-tying streak of 43 straight 100-yard rushing games.

Wentz also set a career high in passing yards (402) but lost a costly fumble on Baltimore's 14-yard line early in the first quarter.

Mills' career day not enough to get past Patriots

Similar to Indy's loss Monday, Houston also saw its hopes of a win dashed by a field goal — this one a 21-yard make by New England kicker Nick Folk with 15 seconds remaining.

Also akin to Indy, Houston blew a 13-point, third-quarter lead.

The 25-22 defeat marked the Texans' fourth straight loss since their season-opening victory over the winless Jaguars, but offensively, Houston turned in one of its best performances of the season.

Rookie Davis Mills passed for a career-high 312 yards and three touchdowns, while Chris Moore, who was promoted off the practice squad Saturday, pulled down all five of his targets for 109 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Special teams and penalties hurt Houston the most. Late in the third quarter, Cameron Johnston's punt went off the back of teammate Terrence Brooks, which handed New England the ball at Houston's 36-yard line.

Ka’imi Fairbairn also missed two extra-point tries, plus a field goal in the fourth quarter.

Texans and Colts betting trends

• Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last five games against the AFC.
• Houston is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as an underdog.
• Indianapolis is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.
• The road team is 12-3-2 ATS in the last 17 meetings between these teams.
• The Over is 5-2 in Houston’s last seven games.
• The Under is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings in Indianapolis.

Indy will get second win against familiar division opponent

Houston entered the 2021 season as the projected punching bag of the league, but this team has been a tough out for nearly every opponent it has faced, except Buffalo.

Indianapolis, on the other hand, was the favorite to win the AFC South, but a string of injuries, mixed with two difficult matchups to open the season, have left the Colts desperate to find wins.

A return to home, following a three-game road slate, will give Indy a much-needed confidence boost, as it faces a division rival it has defeated in six of its last eight matchups.

Statistically, the Colts are far superior, but Houston won't go down without a fight.

Indianapolis will celebrate win No. 2 of the season, but the Texans will cover the 10.5-point spread.

Score prediction: Colts 31, Texans 23

NFL Week 6 pick: Texans +10.5

Texans vs. Colts pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for the Colts to win outright and for the Texans to cover the spread. The final score is expected to go Under 43.5 points.