NFL Football
2026-10-11 - Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NFL Week 5
Sunday 11th October 2026 - Scheduled 1pm EST
6pm (British Time)
Preview
The Indianapolis Colts (2-2) returned from a positive business trip to London and they have been able to pull the record back up to 0.500 for the season, but this is a tough spot for them. Not only are they are returning from a trip across the pond, but the Colts are set to play a road game without a Bye Week and this is something the NFL have tried to avoid.
The Dallas Cowboys won in that position earlier in the season when beating Houston on the road after losing in Brazil, but the time zone Rio operates in is much closer to that of the United States compared with London in the United Kingdom.
Only four teams have been in the situation that Indianapolis will face and the first two times it happened did not go so well for that road team.
Making excuses will not be acceptable to the Indianapolis fanbase as they look to keep themselves competing behind the Jacksonville Jaguars, but nothing will come easy at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2).
Week 4 was a big disappointment for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they were beaten in frustrating fashion at the Cleveland Browns and it was a game in which the players and Head Coach made it clear that they were struggling to deal with the manner in which they were beaten. There has been time to fix the mistakes considering the Steelers played on Thursday Night Football in Week 4, but the team need to come out with better intensity and to maintain that throughout this game.
The match up looks like one that the Steelers can exploit on the Offensive side of the ball and they have bounced back the previous time they were beaten this season.
The Steelers Offensive Line has been able to establish the run and that is important to put Aaron Rodgers in a strong position on the field. The veteran Quarter Back is not as strong as he was in his prime, but Rodgers has weapons around him that can help him and it all begins with the Offensive Line and the running game keeping him in third and manageable spots.
Pittsburgh should be able to find some push at the Line of Scrimmage against this Colts Defensive Line and that should also mean Aaron Rodgers is given a little more time in the pocket. The Offensive Line have been stronger in run blocking than pass protection, but Aaron Rodgers is not someone that will want to hold onto the ball too long in third and manageable spots and that puts the Steelers in a good position.
There are holes in this Indianapolis Secondary that can exploited and Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers can move the ball with some consistency.
At the same time, the Indianapolis Colts have to be encouraged by the last couple of performances that they have produced Offensively and they will certainly believe Jonathan Taylor can pick up from where he left off in London. The Colts Offensive Line have not played at a great level, but Taylor can make big plays even when room looks limited and he will be encouraged by the recent struggles of the Pittsburgh Defensive Line.
Daniel Jones will need to find some improvements if there are any issues in the running game, but he has been inconsistent and the Quarter Back needs to avoid turnovers.
Once again, the match up looks pretty good on paper, but the Colts have a number of injuries in the Receiving areas that has made it tougher for Daniel Jones.
The scheduling of this game is not ideal for the Indianapolis Colts and that may end up being a real factor in determining the final outcome.
With the extra rest between games, the Pittsburgh Steelers may be able to stall one or two Indianapolis drives in the second half and that may end up giving the hosts the edge and they can move back above 0.500 for the 2026 season.
Prediction
Lay the points with the home favourite.
The Pick :
Pittsburgh Steelers 27-20 Indianapolis Colts
