GREG COTE'S THURSDAY PICK
COLTS (6-4) at TEXANS (6-4)
Line: HOU by 3 {.
Cote's pick: HOU 27-17.
TV: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Fox/NFL.
Few division rivalries are more historically lopsided than Thursday night's AFC South first-place battle to kick off NFL Week 12. The Colts lead the all-time series 27-8 over the Texans, including a 30-23 Indy win one month ago, with Jacoby Brissett 4-0 as a starter vs. this foe. Shouldn't that make the Nags a tempting road dog? Well, no, not really. Unlike the first matchup, Brissett figures to be missing his two greatest assets Thursday: 1) RB Marlon Mack is out injured. Houston's run defense really misses J.J. Watt, so no Mack is a huge break. 2) WR T.Y. Hilton _ a Texans-killer with 933 yards in seven meetings _ is officially questionable but seeming closer to doubtful. Deshaun Watson was under constant siege at mighty Baltimore last week but won't face the same heat here. Watson is 8-0 on TDs/picks in his past two home starts, with a sparkly 16-2 differential in six career prime-time games. The young man loves the lights. Watch him shine under them yet again in a big bounce-back game.
