Stroud somehow threw the ball 44 times and was sacked five times in Week 1 and didn't have a pick. His line might be in worse shape today in terms of injuries so I'd expect a wounded duck or two to be picked off. The Indy pass defense played relatively well in the opener vs. Trevor Lawrence.

I think we are getting a very favorable number here, in part, due to the Colts being on the road. As it stands now, I have more faith in the Anthony Richardson experience versus CJ Stroud. Add to that the offensive line is in tatters for the Texans and the Colts hung tough with a solid Jaguars team last week. They also get Zach Moss back which should help the offense considerably. I think the Colts are about 3 points better than the Texans right now.

There’s a lot trending in the Colts’ direction here, which is why they have gone from plus money to basically a pick ‘em. The Texans will be without both of their starting safeties, and Laremy Tunsil is expected out as well, further hindering an already banged up offensive line. There is no rookie quarterback disadvantage, given it will be a head-to-head matchup with both playing the second games of their careers, though Anthony Richardson totally exceeded expectations in his debut. Indianapolis also gets starting RB Zack Moss back, a clear upgrade to help AR in the backfield. The two-pronged attack of AR and Moss will keep the ball moving for the Colts.

This could be an entertaining battle of rookie QBs and rebuilding teams. But the edge goes to a Houston club that showed an effective defense last week against Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson and should have even more success against the dangerous but inexperienced Anthony Richardson of the Colts.

The Texans entered the fourth quarter of their Week 1 matchup against the Ravens trailing by 16 points. That wasn’t exactly a conducive game script for Pierce to get a heavy workload. Still, he finished with 11 carries. Last season, Pierce had at least 14 carries in 10 of the 13 games that he played. The Texans did bring in Devin Singletary, but Pierce is still their main option out of the backfield. This should be a closer game, so look for Pierce to be busy.

The Colts have a bad secondary after trading away Stephon Gilmore during the offseason. In Week 1, Calvin Ridley torched them for 101 yards and a touchdown. The number one wide receiver for the Texans is Collins, who was targeted 11 times in Week 1 against the Ravens. He didn’t disappointment, posting six receptions for 80 yards. Don’t be surprised if he blows past this total.

Zack Moss is set to receive the bulk of the carries in the Colts revamped offense with Anthony Richardson at the helm. This is an excellent match up on paper against a defense that was historically bad last year defending the run. We've seen the effect that a mobile QB can have on an offense and how it opens up rushing lanes. Moss performed well last season when he operated as the Colts feature RB over the final four games of the season averaging 17 carries, 83.5 rushing yards, on a solid 4.8 YPC.

Both these teams struggled in their season openers, but I was encouraged by what I saw from both the Colts offense and Texans defense. But the injuries are mounting up so much for the Texans offense that I've flipped from being lean Texans earlier in the week to playing the Colts here. The Houston O-line is severely depleted and now left tackle Laremy Tunsil is questionable after missing practice Friday. C.J. Stroud also popped up out of nowhere on the injury report with a shoulder injury, and even if he plays he risks re-injury behind this undermanned O-line. If the Colts can get to even 17 points, I think they win this game.

Something we don't see everyday -- or every decade: Rookie QBs squaring off in their second NFL games. Neither Indy's Anthony Richardson nor Houston's C.J. Stroud embarrassed himself in the debuts. Neither set the league ablaze, either. With few game-breakers in either huddle, the gifted kids bear an outsized burden to produce on their own. The defenses did allow a combined 56 points, but the scoring cam be blamed somewhat on tepid offenses. Given time, these QBs will engage in games with totals in the 40s. Not yet.

Anthony Richardson got banged up last week but would have played if the game was on the line and isn't even on the injury report going into this game. Call it what you want, but the Colts offense might turn Richardson -- as an effective runner (he ran 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown) and dangerous passer (24-of-37 for 223 yards, a touchdown and a pick) -- into the Offensive Rookie of the Year if he can stay healthy the whole season. Indy can generate pass rush against a banged-up Houston offensive line and I trust the Colts coaching staff and Richardson to prevent the massive mistake more than I trust the Texans and Stroud to do so.

Both offenses have rookie QBs entering the second game of their careers. But if you're looking at who had the better debut last weekend, it is the Colts Anthony Richardson. Both defense are going to compete hard, but there are some injuries starting to pile up for the Texans entering this matchup.