Texans to stick close to Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are led by a new coach, Jim Caldwell, but they have not skipped a beat at 7-0. Of course, the main reason for that is the real coach is the quarterback.

Manning does whatever is needed to garner victories. Last week, he did not throw a touchdown pass but had 347 yards through the air as the Colts held off San Francisco, 18-14. Put another notch in the win column.

Indianapolis is a 9-point home favorite over the Houston Texans today. The Texans generally can’t beat Manning, but they have made him work for it in recent years. The Colts swept this AFC South series last season, winning 31-27 and 33-27.

I recommend taking the Texans and the points, and with two high-powered quarterbacks dueling, I’ll also look over the total of 481/2 as a play.

The past six meetings between the teams averaged 57 total points and all went well over the posted totals. Indianapolis has a five-game winning streak over Houston, but the Texans have covered the spread in the past three games.

Houston (5-3) suffered a devastating loss last week, when stud tight end Owen Daniels was lost for the season with a knee injury. An integral part of the offense, Daniels had 40 receptions, second on the team to Andre Johnson’s 44.

But to the Texans’ credit, after another frustrating Steve Slaton fumble, they inserted Ryan Moats, who tore Buffalo apart in a dominant second-half rushing performance. Moats could get most of the carries this week.

The Colts are dealing with a rash of injuries. Strong safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson are lost for the season, and veteran cornerback Kelvin Hayden also is out.

Manning and Matt Schaub should put on a show. Schaub leads the league with 2,342 yards passing, and Manning is second with 2,227 yards.

Remember last season’s fantastic finish when the Colts scored 21 points in a two-minute span late in the fourth quarter to snatch a win at Houston? This could be an entertaining game, with the team that has the ball last winning.

My analysis of the rest of today’s Week 9 schedule:

• Kansas City at Jacksonville (-61/2): Fantasy football owners will be watching this game to see what type of numbers Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew compiles. Jones-Drew is sixth in the league with 640 yards rushing. There is no semblance of a running attack anymore for the Chiefs, and Larry Johnson and his salty tongue have been given the week off. Jacksonville has not covered in its past seven games as a home favorite. It’s tough to support either side.

• Baltimore (-3) at Cincinnati: The Ravens snapped a three-game losing streak with a 30-7 thumping of Denver last week. They are looking to exact revenge on the Bengals for a last-second loss Oct. 11. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco’s maturity has been impressive, and emerging running back Ray Rice has given the offense an imposing, balanced attack. Cincinnati comes off a bye and can take a major step toward the playoffs with a win and the series sweep. But I’m a Baltimore believer. The Bengals, while a nice story, still have plenty to prove.

• Washington at Atlanta (-91/2): The Falcons looked good in defeat Monday night at New Orleans. In reality, they beat themselves with costly turnovers. The Redskins lost the one decent player they had on offense when tight end Chris Cooley broke an ankle. Where are Washington’s points going to come from now?

• Green Bay (-10) at Tampa Bay: The Packers might take out their Brett Favre frustrations on the woeful Buccaneers, who are 1-6 against the spread. Unless running back Cadillac Williams has a huge day, Tampa Bay will be sputtering on offense again. Green Bay should roll if its offensive line protects Aaron Rodgers, who has been sacked a league-high 31 times.

• Arizona at Chicago (-3): The words consistency, Cardinals and Bears don’t often collide in the same sentence. Kurt Warner and Jay Cutler each are capable of being brilliant or atrocious. With wideout Anquan Boldin hobbled, it would behoove Arizona to get its offense established on the ground, as rookie Chris “Beanie” Wells continues to get more touches. The running game for both teams might be the determining factor if the weather is dicey. The Cardinals’ run defense was exposed last week, so Matt Forte could give the Bears the edge.

• Miami at New England (-101/2): This is where the Wildcat offense was born. The Dolphins rolled it out at New England last year, and for one rare instance Patriots coach Bill Belichick had no answers. Don’t expect that to be the case again. The Patriots are coming off a bye after a visit to London. The biggest benefit for New England might be the two weeks of rest for receiver Wes Welker, who has played well lately while banged up. This is not college football, but revenge is a factor here, and I lean to the Patriots.

• Carolina at New Orleans (-131/2): It took the Panthers seven games to realize they have a solid running attack. The tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart gave Carolina the best record in the NFC last year. Instead of Jake Delhomme throwing darts to the opposing secondary, the Panthers ran the ball down the Cardinals’ throats last week. At some point, the pressure of being unbeaten will start to wear heavy on the Saints’ shoulders, and this is a division foe getting a ton of points.

• Detroit at Seattle (-10): The Seahawks (2-5) are a mystery, losing five of their past six games. Matt Hasselbeck is playing hurt, but he should be able to hit some big pass plays against a leaky Lions defense. There’s not much to like about this game.

• Tennessee at San Francisco (-31/2): Vince Young finally got a start, and the Titans finally posted a win. Tennessee enters this one on its first positive note of the season, and the 49ers have sort of hit the skids. San Francisco’s three straight losses aren’t a death knell because it resides in the mediocre NFC West. The 49ers’ losses have come at the hands of quality teams — Minnesota, Atlanta, Houston and Indianapolis. I look for coach Mike Singletary to right the ship and take care of business against a weaker team.

• San Diego at New York Giants (-5): The Chargers heading east is a recipe for disaster, but the Giants have fallen on hard times, so that muddies the water just a bit. New York’s defense is not scaring anyone, and Eli Manning has had a lost look on his face. Run and stop the run is the simple mantra the Giants need to adopt, and the wins will follow.

• Dallas at Philadelphia (-3): It’s usually a shootout when these two get together, and why think this game will be different? Miles Austin has given the Cowboys a consistent downfield weapon. Donovan McNabb has been taking advantage of a new toy at his disposal — a solid receiving corps. DeSean Jackson is a special player, rookie Jeremy Maclin is starting to contribute, and Brent Celek is becoming one of the best weapons in the league at tight end. Look over the total of 49.

Brian Blessing, project manager for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, can be reached at bblessing@lvsc.com. Hear the LVSC oddsmakers on Sportsbook Radio, weekdays at 3 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM) and Sirius 98.