San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts Odds

The San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts are all set to do battle in a primetime showdown Sunday night. The 6-4 Colts will try to pick themselves back up after a 3-point loss at New England. Meanwhile, the 5-5 Chargers look to win a fourth straight as they continue their pursuit of Kansas City in the AFC West.

NFL odds makers have given Indy the edge, listing the Colts as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 52.

Fending off San Diego will be no easy task for Peyton Manning and company. After all, the Bolts have taken four of the last five meetings.

This will be San Diego’s third trip to Indy in just over five years, and it can only hope it goes as well as the first two. In 2005, San Diego handed the then-12-0 Colts a 26-17 loss. In the 2008 playoffs, San Diego knocked the Colts out of the postseason with a 28-24 win, ending Indy’s nine-game win streak.

A year later, San Diego knocked Indy out of the playoffs again, dealing the Colts a 23-17 overtime defeat.  That was the most recent meeting between these teams.

The Colts tend to go as Manning goes and things haven’t gone too well for him against the Bolts. Since the start of 2005, Manning has posted a passer rating of 77.5 against San Diego – easily his worst against any team he has faced more than three times. And how can we forget his career-worst six-interception game at San Diego in 2007.

As a result to Manning’s struggles, the Colts haven’t scored more than 24 points in their last five games against the Chargers. Without an elite stop unit, Indy has relied on its offense to outscore the opposition.  With this in mind, its struggles against San Diego should come as no surprise.

The Indy offense has struggled in recent weeks as Manning has had to do without top targets Dallas Clark and Austin Collie. Clark has been placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury while Collie is dealing with a concussion. He is listed as questionable for Sunday.

Despite these key injuries, and several others, the Colts remain tied with Jacksonville for first in the AFC South. They will certainly be happy to return home, where they have won 19 of their last 20 (including playoffs) and all four games this season. Indy backers will also tell you that San Diego is just 1-4 on the road.

It is worth noting that the Colts are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven home games as a favorite.

The Chargers have fought their way back into contention thanks to the stellar play of quarterback Philip Rivers. The All-Pro has thrown 10 touchdown strikes while the offense has averaged 32.7 points in three straight wins.

The offense could be even more deadly Sunday night. Pro Bowl wideout Vincent Jackson, who led the Bolts with 1,167 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions in 2009, is expected to make his season debut.

There is also a possibility that San Diego could get All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates back. He has missed the last two games with a plantar fascia injury to his right foot.

It is worth noting that the underdog is 7-0 against the spread in the last seven meetings in this series.

Bet with confidence in Week 12 by playing the same expert picks as world champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd!