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The Indianapolis Colts must win their remaining two games of the regular season if they stand any chance of making the playoffs.
Their current chance sits at 24 percent.
They'll play the Giants this week and another team that has nothing left to play for except pride in the final week, the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars.
In theory, at least, the Colts should easily win these next two games.
91 percent of the betting public believes the Colts will cover a -7 to -7.5 spread versus the Giants on Sunday. Makes sense. New York hasn't won a game over their last ten. They've lost six of those by more than the current spread.
Even with two wins, making the post season will be quite a feat for Indianapolis. They definitely do not control their own fate.
Houston has 9 wins and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Colts while the Broncos only need to beat a Kansas City Chiefs team with nothing to play for next week for Indianapolis to be eliminated.
The Bengals or the Dolphins also had to win in order for the Colts to stand a chance. Cincinnati rewarded them with a victory over Denver Saturday.
Sagarin detects a slight underlay here with a number of 8.67.
Colts player to watch
DT DeForest Buckner had a tackle for a loss in his fifth straight game and had a pass defended against Tennessee. He has sacks in three of the past four games and is one of three players with seven or more sacks in each of the past six seasons. The Giants have allowed 18 sacks in the past five games.
Giants Player to Watch
WR Malik Nabers has 97 receptions, breaking the team record of 91, set by Odell Beckham in 2014 and matched by Saquon Barkley in 2018. Nabers needs three catches in the final two games to become the fifth rookie in NFL history with at least 100. Puka Nacua of the Rams set the league rookie record of 105 receptions last season, but Raiders tight end Brock Bowers also is in contention to break it with 101 catches this season.
Key Matchup
Indianapolis broke a 68-year-old franchise record by rushing for 335 yards against the Titans. Look for the Colts to keep running the ball. Despite losing tackle Dexter Lawrence and linebacker Bobby Okereke to season-ending injuries last month, New York’s run defense has gotten better with Elijah Chatman, Jordon Riley and Elijah Garcia in the middle. The Giants held Derrick Henry of the Ravens to 67 yards two weeks ago and Bijan Robinson of the Falcons to 94 last weekend.
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