Mike Chappell:

Colts 24, Texans 20

This appears to be the best Texans team ever. OK, so they’re only in their eighth season. But they’re 5-3 and have won at Tennessee, Cincinnati and Buffalo. And let’s not forget, Houston should have beaten the Colts last season in Reliant Stadium — thank you, Sage Rosenfels — and had a shot at an upset in the rematch at Lucas Oil Stadium. But the Texans’ best chance at beating the Colts is later this month in Houston. Sunday, Peyton Manning won’t miss on a few of those deep shots he missed last week against the 49ers.

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Phil Richards:

Colts 31, Texans 27

Losing tight end Owen Daniels is a kick in the gut, but Houston has plenty of weapons with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Steve Slaton and, apparently, Ryan Moats. The defense, with its four high first-round picks and two high second-rounders, is pulling itself together. The challenge is formidable, but for the Colts, winning is a habit; beating Houston is a habit. They will do it for the 14th time in 15 meetings to take a four-game lead in the AFC South at the halfway point.

Phillip B. Wilson:

Colts 34, Texans 27

This ought to be fun. The Colts are No. 1 in passing and the Texans are No. 3. The Texans have realistic playoff aspirations. But for as much as they have accomplished, it still will come down to how much pressure they can get on Peyton Manning and how much they can keep the Colts’ pass rushers off Matt Schaub. The Colts are No. 1 in fewest points allowed. And they’re at home, where they’ve beaten the Texans each of their seven visits by an average margin of 17.4 points.

Bob Kravitz:

Colts 28, Texans 24

Don’t the Colts have to go into New England week undefeated? I like the Texans, like them a lot, and knew once Gary Kubiak took over, it was only a matter of time before they began challenging the Colts in the AFC South. That said, they suffered a huge setback last weekend, losing tight end Owen Daniels to an injury. And there are still questions about the running back spot, where Steve Slaton has been demoted because of fumbling issues. Look for a close game, maybe the best of the weekend. And then it’s all about the Patriots.

the other side

Colts 27, Texans 20

Even though the Texans are 5-3 for the first time and have started 3-1 on the road, they never have won at Indianapolis. The closest they came was last season when the Colts won 33-27. During their 0-7 stretch in Indy, they’ve been outscored by an average of 34-17. They’ve limited the Colts to fewer than 30 points once, and that was in their inaugural season of 2002. The Texans are better, but they’re not good enough to win on the road against the Colts.