The Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts meet in the last day of the NFL preseason today, with the game set to start at 1:00 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. The game will be broadcast live on NFL Network and can be traded on Polymarket.
The Colts are 2.5-point favorites on the spread, with the over/under set at 35.5 (55¢ over / 46¢ under). The Colts are 58¢ favorites while the Lions are 43¢ underdogs.
Let's get into my Lions vs Colts predictions.
Lions vs Colts Predictions
- Lions vs Colts pick: Colts -3.5
My Lions vs Colts best trade is Colts -3.5, with the best odds currently available at Polymarket.
Lions vs Colts Odds
Lions vs Colts Preseason Preview
Detroit Lions Preview
The Lions are coming off a 17-13 win over the Commanders in Week 2 of the preseason.
That was a game where Joshua Dobbs and Luke Altmyer handled reps at quarterback, with the former rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown.
These two signal-callers are once again expected to split duties under center for the final preseason game.
Indianapolis Colts Preview
The Colts just lost 34-6 to the Falcons last week.
Anthony Richardson struggled mightily, completing only 3-of-9 passes for 24 yards; Riley Leonard wasn't much better, going 7-of-14 for 62 yards.
Rookie running back Seth McGowan continued to see a lot of usage, cementing his position as the RB2 over DJ Giddens.
It will be interesting to see if McGowan keeps getting carries in this game, especially with Giddens returning to practice.
Lions vs Colts Predictions, Trading Analysis
Despite a poor preseason so far, the Colts are favored for good reason.
Head coach Shane Steichen has publicly stated that Colts' starters (aside from Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor) are expected to see 8-to-12 snaps for this game. That means we could see Josh Downs, Keenan Allen, and Tyler Warren with a starting offensive line.
On the other side, the Lions aren't going to play their starters, giving the Colts the edge in this game.
Even though Joshua Dobbs has starting experience and Luke Altmyer has shown flashes in camp for the Lions, Richardson and Leonard still give the Colts the edge at quarterback.
I'm backing the Colts to jump out to an early lead with their starters going up against the Lions' backups, putting them in a good spot to cover -3.5 in this matchup.
Any time I can get starters vs backups at a reasonable number, I'm willing to make the move.
Pick: Colts -3.5 (51¢)
