New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts
This is the best game of Week 10, with New England Patriots (6-2) coming to Indianapolis with three wins in a row, showing a lot of improvements in their last displays, where they will face a perfect Indianapolis Colts (8-0) team this season.
As we know, QB Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, was injured last season and it took too much time for him to regain his old form, which was perfectly normal. The Pats O wasn't playing well until Week 4, but since then the New England offense and Tom Brady are playing much better, mainly Brady's deep balls which are hitting their intended targets, like for example, WR Randy Moss, one of the best NFL Wide Receivers, and WR Wes Welker, a very important player for Brady's game, because if Randy Moss is more used on deep balls, Wes Welker is more suited on the short game, but since he is so agile and quick, he can catch the ball and run some extra yards during the game. Besides these two great wide receivers, Tom Brady also has another great option to pass the ball, TE Benjamin Watson.
Patriots rushing game, despite the absences of RB Fred Taylor and RB Sammy Morris, will count with RB Laurence Maroney who has done great games lately and as a backup, we have RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis who also is a quite good player. So, despite these two important injured players being absent, the running game of the Patriots still has good options. I think that Laurence Maroney is an excellent rusher, but he will have difficulties against the Colts ground defense, because on a game like this, everyone is going to give their best.
In the early season, I thought that the Patriots would have some problems on their defense and that they would probably improve during the season, but despite being a unit filled with so much young players, they actually are doing real fine defending well both against the passing game and the rushing game as well. And the team needs them to hold the ground and keep the game close, they have risen to occasion, despite some foolish penalties thanks to their youth and inexperience, a normal thing considering those facts. I believe they will do a good job against the Colts offense tonight.
Indianapolis Colts also have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, QB Peyton Manning is doing a great season, leading his team to a perfect record: 8-0. He doesn't have offensive options as strong as Tom Brady as to choose from, but despite that, the Colts offense also has good weapons like WR Reggie Wayne, WR Pierre Garcon and TE Dallas Clark. From these 3, I highlight Dallas Clark who always shows up in critical situations and is always able to do that catch which gives the Colts the so needed 1st down for the team to keep going forward down the field, which makes him a very important player for the Colts offense
On the rushing game, the Colts have RB Joseph Addai, who has done decent games comparing with the last season, improving his game, but he is not the same Addai like 3 years ago, I think he will have some troubles against the Pats defense. As a backup for Addai, the Colts have backup RB Donald Brown.
Indianapolis defense has 3 important absent players on their secondary, specially SS Bob Sanders who will be surely missed in a game like this, despite the fact his replacement has been playing very well. It is true that this Colts D also has a lot of young players, but this unit has been outstanding and were able to stop the opponents' passing game and rushing game as well. However, this week they will face a great match, an offense that is very powerful and with a lot of seasoned players, which can tip the balance in favour of the Pats in some plays.
New England is playing much better now and I truly think that the Colts will suffer their first loss in the season, because the Patriots are playing much better now and Indianapolis rhythm has dropped lately and they had won their games in a close fashion, their offense is not playing very well, but their defense has done quite well in compensation. We all know that Tom Brady and QB Peyton Manning will play very well and can both throw a lot of touchdown passes, but this is a game that will be played slowly, with a lot of tactical sense, where Defenses will be "Queens", and the offenses will try to not give any free plays to their opponents and thus, I see a lot of value on the Under 49.5 Points and I think that the New England Patriots will win this game SU.
Picks: New England Patriots +3 -125 The Greek and Under 49.5 -105 (1.95) Bet Jamaica
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