How will this game on Sunday shake out? Will the Colts get a much needed win over an inferior opponent? Or will the Raiders rise together to surprise everyone?
The Colts will have a tough task ahead of them. They are facing a team whose back is against the wall. The Raiders are backed into a corner and have had a lot of negativity surrounding them. Can they band together to come out victorious?
The key to the game will be the Colts’ running game. If Marlon Mack does play, he could have a huge game. He carved up the Bills last week and is clearly the best back on the Colts’ roster. He would have an easy time running through Oakland.
Another thing to watch for is how the Colts’ defense plays in general. They had a really good game against the Bills last week. Everyone expects that performance to carry over. But can they play up to that level again? Based on Oakland’s offense, I would say that they can.
Expect Andrew Luck to have a big game as well. He threw 4 touchdown passes last week against Buffalo. He could have a similar performance on Sunday. The Oakland secondary isn’t horrible, but it is suspect to big plays. This would be the game for the Colts to take deep shots.
Prediction: Colts 31 Raiders 10
The Raiders are just in such disarray that it’s hard to see them competing in this one. They don’t have top tier talent and have been struggling on offense. The trade of Amari Cooper won’t help that. They need some time to figure things out.
The Colts will pick up where they left off last week and score another big win. And it will give them a chance to keep pace with Houston in the divisional standings.