Colts vs Texans Expert Picks & Predictions for Week 1 NFL Game

The 2022 NFL season is finally here and the Week 1 schedule is chock full of exciting showdowns. One of the upcoming matchups is an all-AFC South affair between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.

The Carson Wentz experiment was a bust for the Colts last year, leading to their moving on to former NFL MVP Matt Ryan as the new starting quarterback. Along with budding wideout Michael Pittman and 2022 leading rusher Jonathan Taylor, Ryan hopes to return Indianapolis to prominence.

Meanwhile, the Texans hope that their matchup with the Colts doesn't repeat last year's history. Houston was outscored 62-3 in its two 2021 meetings with Indianapolis and looks to avoid that in Lovie Smith's first season behind the bench.

Here's what projection models and experts across the industry have to say about the Jaguars vs Commanders Week 1 matchup.

Colts vs Texans Projections

ESPN FPI: Colts (72.5%)
numberFire: Colts (66.7%)
FiveThirtyEight: Colts (67%)
Betting Favorite: Colts (-7.5)

Projected Winner: Colts (4)

Colts vs Texans Expert Picks

ESPN Experts: Colts (8), Texans (1)
Sports Illustrated Experts: Colts (5)
CBS Sports Experts: Texans (5), Colts (3)

Expert Totals: Colts (16), Texans (6)

Unsurprisingly, there's a consensus going around these picks. Although the Texans have some supporters, 72.7% of experts are siding with the Colts on Sunday.

As far as projections are concerned, numberFire gives Houston its best chance of winning at 33.3%. While an upset can't be ruled out, it doesn't look like there's a good chance of that happening.

Based on last year's play combined with expert projections and picks, it's tough imagining the Colts losing in Week 1.