NFL Football Betting - Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns, Sunday, November 30. NFL betting odds: INDIANAPOLIS -4.5, Total 45

NOTABLE STAT: Indianapolis averages 70.7 rushing yards on road (31st in NFL)
KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Colts are 13-3 SU in last 16 road games
(For more useful stats and trends, visit our special Matchup Tool)

The Indianapolis Colts (7-4 SU, 4-7 ATS) are making their big playoff move. On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns (4-7 SU, 6-5 ATS) hope to get in the way of that surge when the two teams meet up at 1 PM ET in NFL pro football sports betting action at Cleveland Browns Stadium (natural turf).

In the BetUS Sportsbook, the Colts are listed as a 4.5-point favorite, with a posted total of 45 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* IND has covered four of its last 13 games
* IND has won its last four games SU
* IND has played four of its last six games OVER the total
* IND has won 13 of its last 16 road games SU
* IND has played four of its last five road games OVER the total
* CLEV has covered 15 of its last 22 games
* CLEV has lost four of its last six games SU
* CLEV has played 12 of its last 17 games UNDER the total
* CLEV has covered nine of its last 13 home games
* CLEV has covered two of its last six home games
* CLEV has lost five of its last six home games SU
* CLEV has played six of its last nine home games UNDER the total

The Colts have won four straight games, and now they are in position for the wild card (7-4) as they have tie-breaker advantages over both the Ravens and Patriots, who they defeated. Peyton Manning hasn't blown anyone away with his stats (19 TD's, 10 INTs, 63%), but he's thrown nine touchdown passes with only one pick in the last four contests. So he's rounding into good form, as is Joseph Addai, who's contributed 254 all-purpose yards to the offense in the last two weeks. It's almost a given that Bob Sanders is going to be out or a game-time decision, and Indianapolis is learning to live with that.

They won't need to against the Browns, who as a team can't complete 50% of their passes. We know that Cleveland dealt the Giants their only loss, but that was by the same token the Browns' only win at their eponymous home, and this team was a huge disappointment against Houston. Brady Quinn, who's been bothered with a finger injury, was benched in favor of Derek Anderson. The two combined for 13 completions in 32 attempts and three interceptions. Quinn is 22 for 54 in the last two weeks, and he will once again be the starter for Romeo Crennel.

If the Browns couldn't move against a defenseless Houston team, and couldn't win at home against that awful road club, they don't stand much chance against one of the NFL's hotter teams, which knows how to get things rolling for the post-season. The Colts have won 13 of their last 16 road games, so we certainly trust them to a greater degree here. And if Addai is back to providing a running game again, that's a lot of time for the Browns defense to spend on the field (38 minutes last week, folks).

We'll lay the 4.5 points with these road warriors, going with the Colts, the favorite in the BetUS NFL pro football sports betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: INDIANAPOLIS -4.5 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay of www.ebookies.com is a member of the NFL too - that is, "not for long" if you don't get results. He is now a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)