NFL Picks: Week 13

The Indianapolis Colts try to hold onto an AFC playoff spot with three of the remaining five games against AFC South Division opponents.

A losing streak of incorrect picks on Indianapolis Colts games has reached three in a row, although Week 12 was decent overall at 12-4.

The Colts (7-4) visit the AFC South Division rival Houston Texans (4-7) on Sunday in an important road test when considering the visitors are in the seventh and final AFC playoff spot with five games remaining. Three of the Colts’ last five games are in the division, including a return home date with the Texans in two weeks and a home season finale against the Jaguars.

While the Colts fell one game behind Tennessee (8-3) after last week’s numbing 45-26 home loss to the Titans, the margin is larger because the Titans have tiebreaker advantages. That’s why the focus is on the wild-card race, where the Colts are only one game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens (6-5) and Las Vegas Raiders (6-5). The Colts are at the Raiders next week.

The hunch is that the Colts need to finish at least 10-6 to make the postseason for just the second time in six years.

And don’t think the Texans will be an easy win. Interim coach Romeo Crennel has led the team to three wins in four games and quarterback Deshaun Watson has 15 TD passes and no interceptions in the last six starts. Colts leading tackler Darius Leonard knows Watson well. Expect the All-Pro linebacker to be shadowing the elusive scrambler.

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson throws a pass while on the run from Colts linebacker Darius Leonard in a 2019 game in Houston.

Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports

The Texans are short-handed at wide receiver after No. 1 Will Fuller V was suspended for testing positive for PEDs. Their best cornerback, Bradley Roby, also got popped with a six-game suspension for the same violation.

While Colts defensive end/tackle Denico Autry has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list after missing two starts, the defense might be without All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and has struggled in the first half recently. The Colts have trailed at halftime in each of the last three weeks, including 35-14 to the Titans.

The Colts are 3.5-point road favorites. My record at picking Colts games is the same as their record, 7-4. We're going with them this week.

Good luck, pickers!

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PhilB’s Picks

Saints at Falcons — Saints

Lions at Bears — Bears

Browns at Titans — Titans

Bengals at Dolphins — Dolphins

Jaguars at Vikings — Vikings

Raiders at Jets — Raiders

Colts at Texans — Colts

Rams at Cardinals — Rams

Giants at Seahawks — Seahawks

Eagles at Packers — Packers

Patriots at Chargers — Chargers

Broncos at Chiefs — Chiefs

Washington at Steelers — Steelers

Bills at 49ers — Bills

Cowboys at Ravens — Ravens

Week 12 — 12-4 (.750)

Overall — 118-58-1 (.669)

(While these picks are for entertainment purposes only, SI recently launched our Premium Betting Membership backed by Vegas Insiders. SI Fantasy PRO members get real-time betting alerts whenever information comes in. Our NFL, CFB, and MLB plays and information delivered to SI PRO members have gone 177-118-2 YTD so far in 2020.)