Predicting Colts' Week 1 opponent in 2026 NFL season

[ASFN Admin]

We know who the Indianapolis Colts' 2026 opponents are, but on Thursday, May 14, we find out what the full schedule will look like.

So, before the schedule is released or a number of games are leaked, let's predict who the Colts will face in their Week 1 regular-season opener.

First, we have to identify which team we think the Colts will play. Below is the list of their opponents.

Indianapolis Colts 2026 home opponents​

• Houston Texans
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Tennessee Titans
• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Miami Dolphins

Indianapolis Colts 2026 road opponents​

• Houston Texans
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Tennessee Titans
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Cleveland Browns
• Washington Commanders
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Minnesota Vikings

Predicting Colts' Week 1 opponent for 2026 NFL season​

Not always, but oftentimes, the NFL has a number of divisional matchups to open up the regular season. So we will use that as our starting point with our prediction, narrowing down the list of potential opponents to the Jaguars, Titans, and Texans.

Along with there oftentimes being divisional matchups in Week 1, the NFL also likes to come out of the gates swinging with some high-end matchups. Frequently in recent years, Colts and Texans games have been close and come down to the final quarter.

So I'll predict that Houston is the Colts' Week 1 opponent.

Now, will this game take place at home or on the road? With the Colts playing at home in Week 1 for the last three seasons, I'll guess that this year they start on the road, traveling to Houston.

Week 1 opponent prediction: Colts at Houston Texans

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2026 NFL schedule: Predicting who Colts play in Week 1 opener

Continue reading...