No one expected much of a competition in the AFC South, but here we are.
The Houston Texans have established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL with a series of commanding victories, culminating in a win over the Chiefs last week. For their part, the Indianapolis Colts have also knocked off the Chiefs, and started the season surprisingly strong despite Andrew Luck’s surprise retirement.
Indy isn’t perfect at any position, but they seem to do everything well enough to win. The defensive line stepped up for them against the Chiefs, while safety Khari Willis has been a lifesaver in previous weeks. The Colts entered their bye at 26th in defensive DVOA, but they have stepped up when it matters.
Similarly, the offense doesn’t put up gaudy numbers, but continues to produce. Marlon Mack has been a gem for the Colts, averaging almost 100 yards a game. Receiving has been a group effort, but T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal have been productive enough to keep things rolling.
Where the Colts have been fine on offense, the Texans have been phenomenal. Deshaun Watson’s strong passing, coupled with Carlos Hyde’s resurgent running game, has made this offensive attack too much to handle for most NFL teams.
Though the Texans offense gets the most coverage, their defense has played well so far as well. No, the unit hasn’t been flashy, but solid man coverage and disciplined secondary play have limited offensive opportunities for opponents.
In weeks where Watson throws for 400 yards or Hyde runs for 100, pretty good defense will go a long way.
The Texans have the clear edge here, but never put it past the Colts to find a way to another upset.
| HOW TO WATCH TEXANS VS. COLTS WITHOUT CABLE | |
| FUBOTV | TRY NOW |
| HULU WITH LIVE TV | TRY NOW |
| SLING TV | TRY NOW |
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
- When: Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1pm ET
- Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Streaming: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket
There are a number of options for watching Colts vs. Texans on streaming platforms that carry CBS. However, consult a coverage map to see what game your regional channel will be playing.
If a game is not being carried in your area, the only option might be an NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Texans vs. Colts live stream: How to watch NFL online
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone. (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
2) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings with ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
3) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Both Sling Blue ($25 per month) or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month) include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels and NBCSN—and it’s still a nice perk that Sling subscribers can order a la carte packages. Sling TV also offers a special Latino package for bilingual viewers. Sling TV is currently offering a deal where you can subscribe for 40% off the regular price for the first month of your subscription. That means Sling Blue would cost $15, and Sling Orange + Blue would cost $25. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)
For $10 extra per month, you can get NFL RedZone via the Sling Blue Sports Extra package.
Unfortunately, due to a contract dispute, as of Sept. 26 Sling no longer carries Fox, FS1, and FS2. But there is a workaround…
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “it’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels. While select NFL and college football games (on Fox, FS1, and FS2) are no longer on Sling, you can still catch Fox games with AirTV.
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream the Chiefs vs. Texans, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPN and FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) NFL Sunday Ticket
Cost: $73.99 per month for four months, or one single payment of $293.96
There are two—and only two—ways of acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV. There’s NFLSundayTicket.TV, which costs $73.99 per month for four months. It’s everything you love NFL Sunday Ticket but online-only. You can stream from pretty much any device that connects to the internet (but only on one device at a time).
You can also upgrade to the NFLST.TV Max bundle for a total of $99 per month for four months or one single payment of $395.99. You can also add on NFL Game Pass, which allows you to watch replays of every game after they air, for $50 for the full season.
There’s another way to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV: Amazon Prime. While you can’t pay for the package using Amazon Prime, you can at least watch all of the games on the service. To start, first download the NFL Sunday Ticket channel on Amazon Prime. It’s free. From there, you’ll just need to sign in with your subscription credentials to watch the Chiefs vs. Texans.
College students can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket at a discounted price through NFLSundayTicket.TV U.
TRY NFL SUNDAY TICKET ON AMAZON PRIME
Fantasy football: Who should I start?
Texans
Carlos Hyde, Running Back: At the beginning of the season, this looked like a 50-50 platoon with Duke Johnson. While Johnson is still vulturing carries and touchdowns, Hyde has emerged as the lead back here. The Colts are soft against the run, so Hyde is at least a flex this week.
Colts
Marlon Mack, Running Back: It feels like we only ever talk about Mack on this team, but no one else has emerged as a surefire fantasy starter. The receivers have been dependable, but there has been a different top pass catcher in Indy in three of the last four weeks.
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts: Why it matters
The Texans are the clear favorite in the AFC South, and if they win here, they cement that status. It’s hard to imagine the Jaguars or the Titans catching up to either of these teams, so the Colts are all that stands in their way.
The Texans also look to be in good position to grab a playoff bye if the Chiefs continue to slip in the coming weeks.
For the Colts, a wild card slot is a real possibility, and they could keep the Texans honest in the division. They are not a perfect team, but all that matters is Ws and Ls.
If this Texans offense is its usual self, it is tough to imagine Jacoby Brissett’s offense keeping pace. But, if this game slows down a bit and it becomes all about Marlon Mack, maybe the Colts have a chance.
Houston has the advantage here, but a team that lost to the Panthers and almost lost to the Jags could definitely fall to the Colts.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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