I come not to bury the Broncos, but…no wait….I do come to bury them

[Colts And Orioles]

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This Chargers sportswriter comes to bury the Colts.



It’s Crystal Clear Why the Chargers Are Favored Over the Colts in Week 7

(By Luke Norris)

https://boltbeat.com/it-s-crystal-cl...olts-in-week-7



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After a pair of ugly losses to the New York Giants and Washington Commanders in Weeks 4 and 5, the Los Angeles Chargers nearly suffered a 3rd consecutive defeat this past Sunday, needing a miraculous play from Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey, a couple of unexpected heroes, and a Cameron Dicker field goal with five seconds remaining to squeak past the one-win Miami Dolphins by a score of 29-27.

But despite some of their recent struggles, along with some of the big injuries to key contributors they've been forced to deal with, the Bolts, who improved to 4-2 with the win over Miami, head into their highly anticipated match with the Indianapolis Colts, who are tied for the best record in the NFL at 5-1, as 1.5-point favorites. At least those are the odds listed at DraftKings at the time of this writing.

But why ???

Well, there could be a few factors at play here. For starters, this game is being contested at SoFi Stadium. While the Colts are a perfect 4-0 at home, they're just 1-1 on the road. And let's not forget that their lone loss of the year came to none other than the Los Angeles Rams in the very same building in which they'll take the field on Sunday.

Or perhaps the Chargers are favored because there's some optimism that both Joe Alt and Khalil Mack could be in uniform.

Or maybe, just maybe, oddsmakers aren't quite sold on Indianapolis being a genuine threat in the AFC just yet.


4 of the Colts’ 5 Wins Have Come Against Teams With Losing Records


Look, this isn't meant to bash the Colts, as they truly have been one of the most entertaining stories over the first 6 weeks of this 2025 season, as has the resurgence of quarterback Daniel Jones. And let's not forget about the ridiculous numbers being put up by running back Jonathan Taylor, who leads the league in rushing and is nearly on pace to match the video-game stats he put up during his First-Team All-Pro season in 2021. The Colts' defense has been solid as well, allowing the 4th-fewest points per game (19.3.)

But there's no getting around the fact that of Indy's 5 wins, only one has come against a team with a winning record, that being a 29-28 last-second victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 2. And what's easy to forget there is that Colts kicker Spencer Schrader got 2 chances at the game-winning field goal.

Schrader first missed a 60-yard attempt as time expired, but after Dondrea Tillman was hit with a 15-yard penalty for leverage, Schrader connected from 45 to give the Colts the win.

Indy's only other match-up against a team with a winning record right now was the aforementioned loss to the Rams at SoFi, which came back in Week 4.

As for the Colts' 4 other wins, those came against the Miami Dolphins (1-5), the Tennessee Titans (1-5), the Las Vegas Raiders (2-4), and the Arizona Cardinals (2-4). Not exactly powerhouse clubs, are they ???

Now, let's not get things twisted here, as we certainly don't want to come off as one-sided. 2 of the Chargers' 4 victories on the season come from that same list, as Jim Harbaugh & Co. took down the Raiders in Week 2 and, as mentioned, the Dolphins just this past Sunday.

The Bolts also bested the Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. And that latter victory looks a lot better now after the Chiefs dominated the Detroit Lions on Monday night.

Even with that pair of victories, we're by no means implying that the Chargers are an elite team. Because they're not. But they're certainly better than anyone that the Colts have played thus far. Combine that and the home-field advantage, and that's why the Bolts are favored in this battle of 1st-place teams.

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