NFL WEEK 10
GREG COTE'S THURSDAY PICK
COLTS (5-3) at TITANS (6-2)
Line: TEN by 1.
Cote's pick: IND 24-20.
TV: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Fox/NFL.
One of the better matchups of Week 10 kicks us off Thursday night, with a battle for the top of the AFC South. (In a weird scheduling quirk, these teams will play again in two weeks). I'm leaning mini-upset here. Tennessee's ground-first offense has tailed off the past few games, and Indy's strong run defense is suited to limit Derrick Henry. Colts' superior defense all-round drives our thinking on this. Indy's D ties for league lead in interceptions and has permitted the lowest opponent passer rating. Also, Indy has won three of past four in this series — and won in seven of its past eight trips to Nashville. One concern: Titans' plus-10 leads NFL in turnover differential, and Colts QB Philip Rivers can be a little pick-prone at times. Rivers gets T.Y. Hilton back from injury here, and they're overdue to click in a way they haven't yet. There is a reason the flow of money on this game has bet the better-record hometown down from a 2 1/2-point favorite. I'm riding with that trend and Colts defense.
