Colts Enter 2020 Season With Optimism

The 2019 season did not go well for the Indianapolis Colts, as the team got a big surprise before Week 1 even arrived.

Quarterback Andrew Luck suddenly retired from the team, leaving a huge hole in the offense.

The Colts went just 7-9 a season ago, finishing in third place in the AFC South. Indianapolis also dealt with several other injuries in 2019, but things could change in a big way this season.

Indianapolis was able to lure quarterback Phillip Rivers to the team, and the veteran signal-caller is set to lead a revamped offense. Rivers is capable of throwing for more than 4,000 yards this season, and the Colts will once again have a vaunted defense.

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans both represented the AFC South in the playoffs a season ago, but neither of those teams improved this offseason. The Colts believe that they have a team capable of winning the division in 2020, and it should be an exciting year for Colts fans.

Favorable Odds For Colts

FanDuel Sportsbook has the Indianapolis Colts as slight favorites to win the AFC South this season. The Colts are listed at +125, which is just ahead of the Tennessee Titans at +165.

The Colts are currently being offered at +1100 to win the AFC Championship, but there are two co-favorites well ahead of them. The Kansas City Chiefs are the heavy favorite at +280, and the Baltimore Ravens are just behind them at +300.

FanDuel has set the over/under for total Colts wins this season at 9.0, and if the Colts are able to hit the over and win 10 games, it will likely mean a playoff trip for Indianapolis. FanDuel has the Colts at -198 to make the playoffs in 2020, and they are listed at +160 not to make the playoffs. It’s no surprise they have them at this price given the fantasy sports partnership.

Blankenship Wins Kicking Competition

If the Colts are able to win the division this season, it will be a new kicker that is making the clutch kicks in Indy. Rodrigo Blankenship has been named the starting kicker for the Colts, replacing the future Hall of Famer, Adam Vinatieri.

Blankenship is a former standout at the University of Georgia, and he beat out Chase McLaughlin to earn the Week 1 start. Blankenship was undrafted this past April, but the Colts were able to land the rookie in free agency.

McLaughlin took over the kicking duties in December 2019 when Vinatieri was forced to go on injured reserve. McLaughlin went 5-of-6 on field-goal attempts and was a perfect 11-11 on extra-point tries.

Vinatieri is the all-time leading scorer in NFL history and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He spent 14 of his 24 seasons with the Colts and was one of the most accurate kickers in league history.

Blankenship was impressive during his career at Georgia and was able to win the job in training camp. He went a perfect 200-of-200 on extra-point attempts during his college career.

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