Horseshoe Huddle Roundtable: Texans at Colts | Predictions & Picks

With revenge on the mind, here is how the Horseshoe Huddles staff sees the Week 1 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans unfolding.

Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Goodson (31) lies on the turf after missing a catch on fourth down Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The regular season kickoff has finally arrived for the Indianapolis Colts as they get set to host the AFC South division-rival Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

For these teams, each other is their most recent opponent, as the Texans narrowly defeated the Colts in Week 18 last season to win the division and punch their ticket to the playoffs, which slammed the door on the Colts' season.

The teams have had two vastly different offseasons since, with the Texans capitalizing on their success and going all in by adding several key outside pieces and the Colts electing to mostly re-sign their own players, build through the draft, and depend on returns from injury by players such as Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, Braden Smith, and JuJu Brents to get them where they want to go.

This has been a much anticipated matchup, to put it lightly. Here's how Horseshoe Huddle sees it unfolding for the Colts in Week 1 against the Texans, with our roundtable of six analysts splitting the game 3-3.

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Sean Ackerman (@shnackerman): After a strong third quarter, the Colts pull away with an important home win to break the infamous Week 1 curse. Richardson may take some time to get settled into the game, but explosive plays on the ground will be the decisive factor on Sunday afternoon. Indy’s defensive line has to bail out the secondary to limit Houston QB CJ Stroud’s accuracy as he maneuvers the pocket.
Pick: Colts 27, Texans 22

Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL): Whether it was Anthony Richardson or Jonathan Taylor, Houston didn't have an answer for the Colts' run game last year, which should be huge in this game and create play-action opportunities. While the Colts' defensive front should wreak havoc on opponents throughout the season, Stroud is one of the few QBs in the NFL who can consistently make big plays under duress. Ultimately, I need to see the Colts offense clean up the miscommunications that cropped up throughout the summer and the secondary prove Chris Ballard right before I'm ready to say I'm comfortable with them. Let's not forget that the Colts' kicker on Sunday will either be someone who's been inconsistent since last year and just recently had hernia surgery or an undrafted rookie. I'm just a little more comfortable with what I know about Houston in this one.
Pick: Texans 30, Colts 27

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Noah Gebert (@noahgebert): I expect both offenses to start hot, trading scores in the first couple of drives, but as the game continues, the Texans' offense will prove to be slightly more efficient against a leaky Colts secondary. I expect the Colts' defense to prevent the long, explosive touchdown they failed to stop in their Week 18 matchup last season but continue to be attacked in the short and intermediate passing game, while Richardson’s inexperience will create one too many mistakes for the Colts to keep up.
Pick: Texans 31, Colts 24

Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2): The Colts have a massive advantage in the trenches in this game, and I ultimately have that as the difference maker. The interior of the Colts’ offensive line should be able to carve out some space in the run game while their defensive line gets after Stroud early and often.
Pick: Colts 26, Texans 23

Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreNFL): The Colts will have their hands full with Stroud and the Texans offense on Sunday. But the Texans' defense will have to find a way to stop Richardson, Taylor, and the Colts’ ground attack, something they were unable to do a season ago. A revamped Colts defensive line finds a way to generate consistent pressure on Stroud to avenge their Week 18 loss.
Pick: Colts 27, Texans 23

Drake Wally (@DWallsterDrake): Richardson will continue where he left off last season, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing another to Michael Pittman Jr. Taylor will also have heavy usage, but ultimately, this young Colts secondary will be open to too many exploits from a loaded Houston offense. Whether it's Matt Gay or Spencer Shrader kicking for Indy, they miss a game-tying field goal.
Pick: Texans 30, Colts 27

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