The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) travel to Wisconsin in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL season for a battle with the Green Bay Packers (0-1). Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 15th at Lambeau Field.
It is easy to make the argument that both of these teams could be 1-0 heading into Week 2 after both of their losses were decided by five points or less. Green Bay had a tough assignment in Brazil against the Eagles, ultimately losing 34-29 despite strong play on offense. The Colts also managed to put up a bunch of points, coming up just short in a 29-27 home defeat against division rival Houston.
The biggest story coming into this Week 2 clash is the health of Packers QB Jordan Love, who will likely miss the next 3-4 weeks of the season after suffering an MCL sprain after twisting his left knee in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia. While head coach Matt LeFleur tried to downplay the incident and is suggesting that “the door is pretty open” to Love suiting up against Indianapolis on Sunday, it seems much more likely that backup Malik Willis will get the start at quarterback for the Packers home opener this weekend.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Colts listed as 3-point road favorites. The spread hasn’t really moved all that much in either direction after early betting, as Indianapolis is still currently available at -3 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 41 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on the FOX Sports Network. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Indianapolis Colts Fall Just Short Despite Impressive Performance by Richardson
There were a lot of positives for the Colts despite a tough loss at home to open the regular season, as QB Anthony Richardson was very solid in his return to the lineup after missing well over half of the 2023-24 season due to injury. Richardson threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns through the air, including a highlight reel 60+ yard TD that he chucked up into double coverage after slipping on the turf in the backfield. He also was incredibly effective when pressured outside of the pocket, racking up 56 yards and a score on the ground on just six rushing attempts.
RB Jonathan Taylor also found the end zone, although he didn’t have his most impactful game against a stout Texans run defense that held him to an average of just 3.0 yards per carry. Depth receiver Alec Pierce turned some heads after his role was expanded due to usual WR2 Josh Downs being unable to suit up, parlaying his extra snaps into 125 receiving yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Indianapolis struggled to slow down the explosive Texans passing attack. Stefon Diggs scored two touchdowns, while star wideout Nico Collins racked up 117 receiving yards on six catches. The Colts defense also didn’t fare well on the ground, getting lit up by RB Joe Mixon for a whopping 159 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Green Bay Packers Lose Opener and Starting Quarterback in Brazil
It was a classic case of “when it rains, it pours” for Green Bay in South America last Thursday, as the Packers found themselves heading home from Sao Paulo without a win and likely without their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. QB Jordan Love looked solid for much of the game against Philadelphia, throwing for 260 yards and two touchdowns despite completing just 50% of his passing attempts. However, Love twisted his knee badly in the final seconds of the second half and was later diagnosed with an MCL sprain.
The highly likely absence of Love here in Week 2 means that backup Malik Willis will be starting under center for the Packers, which certainly doesn’t bode well. Willis has really struggled over his 12 previous NFL appearances (three starts), throwing for just 350 total yards through the air and zero touchdowns. Turnovers have also been an issue over that span, throwing three interceptions and getting sacked a total of 15 times.
Green Bay will need a much better performance from their defense with Love likely being sidelined, as the Packers got torched by Philadelphia for well over 400 total yards of offense. Star QB Jalen Hurts picked apart the secondary, throwing for almost 300 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Saquon Barkley also did a lot of damage on the ground, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns in his Eagles debut.
Our Colts vs Packers NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
I’m pretty surprised that the spread in this game is still relatively close, as the absence of Love at quarterback for the Packers is really going to hurt their chances in this spot despite playing at home. Willis has yet to show he is even anywhere close to being reliable at the NFL level, so it could be a long afternoon for the Green Bay offense on Sunday afternoon.
Indianapolis has shown that they are more than capable of putting up points in a hurry, as they scored three touchdowns against an above average Houston defense at home in Week 1. Jonathan Taylor is also in a great spot to bounce back this weekend after performing below expectations against the Texans, as Green Bay had no answer for Saquon Barkley in their opener last Thursday night.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Colts -3
Unless Jordan Love somehow makes a miraculous comeback between now and Sunday afternoon, I think Indianapolis is a very sharp play on the road this weekend. Richardson proved he is back to 100% health, while having a well-rested Taylor out of the backfield and the duo of Pittman Jr. and Pierce at wide receiver really gives Richardson the necessary support for him to play his best in his second season.
While Green Bay did a fantastic job of keeping pace with the high flying Eagles last week, I have my doubts about whether or not Willis will be able to keep this one close against an Indy team that seems like a good bet to put up 3+ touchdowns again in Week 2. Stay away from the big question mark that Willis represents at quarterback and lay the field goal in this spot. Take the Colts to cover!
