Indianapolis Colts Out of Luck For 2019 And Beyond

Fans were taken by surprise at the announcement of Andrew Luck’s retirement. Sportsbooks have also been scrambling to adjust since Luck declared his departure from the sport.

Although numerous books have returned bets contingent on Luck’s performance this season, they all must modify the Indianapolis Colts odds on a multitude of wagers. The majority do not regard Indianapolis as a valid competitor in the AFC without Luck.

How Andrew Luck’s retirement immediately affects sports betting

Sports betting in Indiana isn’t set to go live until September 1, giving the state’s casinos time to make adjustments before opening their books. In other areas such as Las Vegas, bookmakers have already had to issue refunds for bets placed on Luck winning the league MVP this year.

Luck’s retirement dramatically changed one set of odds. Many books had previously listed Luck at +900 to be this season’s MVP.

Luck’s retirement has further shortened the already short MVP odds for players such as Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Similarly, the odds for contenders betting on who will lead in passing yards during the 2019 NFL season have also been affected.

Not only players on other teams but also the teams themselves face consequences. The AFC South divisional futures have dramatically changed.

AFC South futures and win totals revised following Luck’s retirement

Previously, with Luck as their quarterback, bookmakers had Indianapolis as the clear favorite to win the AFC South. However, the narrative has completely changed, with the Colts now being the team with the least chances to win the division.

The Houston Texans are currently favored to retain their title as AFC South champions according to bookmakers nationwide. Las Vegas predicts a 4/1 chance of Indianapolis winning the division, while William Hill offers a +550 line on the same outcome.

Before Luck’s retirement, bookmakers anticipated the Colts would win 9.5 or 10 games according to different books. However, this has been revised to 6.5 or 7 depending on the book.

Currently, the best bet for Indianapolis’ win expectancy is available on DraftKings and Sugarhouse. They offer a line of +100 on the under of 6.5 wins.

When they see how Jacoby Brissett, the new starter for the Colts, performs and how Indianapolis secures his backup, the oddsmakers might modify those lines.

Futures and other prop bets for Jacoby Brissett and the Colts

Brissett starts his term as the Colts’ starting quarterback with slim chances of achieving statistical excellence. For instance, DraftKings and Sugarhouse give him odds of +20000 to top the NFL in passing yards.

Another significant impact is how the shift in center position influences the future prospects of other Colts players. Prior to Luck’s retirement, William Hill had T.Y. Hilton at +2000 to top the league in receiving yards.

Hilton currently stands at +3300 to replicate his performance. PointsBet has not yet lessened Hilton’s odds of securing the most touchdown passes, maintaining it at the same +3300.

However, the odds could shift depending on Indianapolis’ decision about Brissett’s backup. All the quarterbacks on the roster, excluding Brissett, have only made one total regular-season NFL game appearance.

There are rumors suggesting that the Colts are considering several trade options, including Josh Dobbs from Pittsburgh and Teddy Bridgewater from New Orleans. Bridgewater’s experience as a starter in the NFL could be valuable to Indianapolis, especially if Brissett doesn’t perform well.

The Colts might be awaiting the final roster cuts from all the league’s teams before deciding on a backup.

Sportsbooks in Indiana are likely currently in a wait-and-see mode, as it’s unclear how well Brissett will perform following Luck’s retirement, despite having a talented team around him.