Keagan Smith shares his favorite player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Sunday’s NFL Week 18 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
The final game of the regular season for the Indianapolis Colts has the team traveling to H-Town for a date against the Houston Texans. It may not be the prettiest outing with Riley Leonard in line to start under center for the visitors against an elite defense, but the show must go on regardless of what the projections may show. For the home team, an outside shot at securing a third straight AFC South title provides some extra motivation to keep the starters out there. Even if this one’s a blowout, there are still plenty of player prop bets to consider.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Houston is a -10.5 favorite at home with -650 odds on the Moneyline. The total sits at a paltry 38.5 combined points.
Here are the top player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Colts vs. Texans in Week 18.
Colts vs. Texans best prop bets
Woody Marks 60+ rushing yards (+133)
He’s no superstar, but Woody Marks has worked as a more-than-serviceable back this season for the Texans after assuming the lead role. He plays a large portion of snaps and is useful in the receiving game as both a weapon and a blocker, so it only makes sense to see him on the field more than anyone else in this backfield. Over the last several weeks, he’s become more of a workhorse with 16+ carries in five of his last six games, and while his efficiency isn’t stellar, he does gain some respectable yardage totals with the opportunities. Marks has reached 60 rushing yards or greater in seven of 15 games over the course of his rookie campaign, including in six of his last eight contests and four of his last five outings. While there’s a little bit of risk involved against a Colts defense that ranks sixth in the NFL with 99.9 rushing yards allowed per game, star defensive tackle DeForest Bucker underwent season-ending surgery and the unit has allowed 100+ rushing yards to halfbacks in back-to-back games. The Texans will look to control the pace and run plenty as they try to secure the division (though that outcome also relies on a Jacksonville Jaguars loss).
Riley Leonard 2+ interceptions (+175)
With nothing left to play for beyond bragging rights on the Colts’ side, the team turns from the unretired Philip Rivers to rookie quarterback Riley Leonard as the starter this week. The sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame was known far more for his legs in college than for his arm, and he’s seen very little action beyond the emergency appearance when Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury. Leonard’s tossed two picks on 33 career pass attempts and now faces one of the most fearsome defenses in the NFL. It’s a very tall task — even more so if Indianapolis benches any regular starters — and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the rookie struggle on Sunday. While Houston’s second-best cornerback Kamari Lassiter is out with an injury, Derek Stingley Jr. still looms along with a handful of other Pro Bowlers at all three levels of the unit. With an elite pass rush pressuring the quarterback too, Leonard could easily toss a couple of bad balls in this one.