49ers vs Colts Free Pick, NFL Free Picks, NFL Predictions 12/22/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- Dec 22, 2025
- 4 min read
SAN FRANCISCO @ INDIANAPOLIS (SF -5.5, 46.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
49ERS @ COLTS 12/21/25
The San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts will have the chance to help themselves on the field when they meet tonight in Indianapolis. This comes after having the chance to watch division rivals try to hold serve in a close playoff battle.
With the Seahawks (12-3) and Rams (11-4) ahead of them, the 49ers (10-4) are in third place in the NFC West. On Thursday night, Seattle defeated visiting Los Angeles 38–37 in overtime. With the Detroit loss to Pittsburgh yesterday, the 49ers secured a playoff spot. They can move into a tie for second place in the division with the Rams with a win over the Colts tonight.
This week, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan reassured the team that winning for the fifth time in a row is the top objective, even though it's entertaining to watch the opposition crush one another. Shanahan understands that it won't be simple, especially against a 44-year-old starting quarterback like Philip Rivers.
"You don't out-athletic a really good defense," stated Shanahan. "The ability to get rid of the ball is essential. There are those who possess it and those who do not. It's very difficult to escape when things are moving quickly at a top level, athletically, whether it's vision, arm-throwing angles, mental processing, or just having your feel and clear head in the pocket (athletic defenders).
Though they are in a different conference and further down the playoff ladder, the Colts (8-6) are in a similar predicament to the 49ers. They start the week as the "last team out" of the seven-team AFC playoff picture, but they are just two games behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) and one game behind the Houston Texans (9-5) in the AFC South.
The Colts, like the 49ers, have a chance to not only make the playoffs but also perhaps capture the division title as Indianapolis concludes its regular season with games against the Jaguars (home) and Texans (away).
Rivers started last week in lieu of Daniel Jones, who was hurt, and the Colts only managed one touchdown in an 18-16 loss to Seattle. Nevertheless, Jim Bob Cooter, the offensive coordinator for Indianapolis, thinks the veteran's contribution to the offense should grow every week.
"It was really fun to talk about different concepts with him and different ways to attack a defense, different ways he saw (the Seattle game) and how we could sort of build that into the weekly game plan as we got going with our weekly planning (for the 49ers)," Cooter stated. "Real fun to be able to talk ball with him."
It’s an interesting matchup of quarterbacks with San Francisco’s QB Brock Purdy, who was the last pick in the 2022 draft. He faces off against a future Hall of Famer in Rivers. Additionally, it's a unique matchup between two of the league's most successful running backs, Jonathan Taylor of Indianapolis and Christian McCaffrey of San Francisco.
With 1,443 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, Taylor leads the NFL. When rushing and receiving yards are combined, McCaffrey is only 19 yards behind Taylor (1,761-1,742) with 14 total touchdowns. In yards from scrimmage, they are ranked second and third in the league, only surpassed by Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons (1,858).
In Rivers' first start last week, Taylor had a significant load (25 carries, three catches). After going for 102 or more rushing yards five times as the Colts got off to an 8-2 start, he hasn't reached 87 in the team's last four games (all losses).
Purdy's return from a toe injury coincides with McCaffrey's four-game streak of rushing touchdowns. Prior to connecting up just once in a landslide victory over the Tennessee Titans last week, they hooked up 16 times in victories over the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns.
After suffering knee and ankle injuries last week, the 49ers will not have receiver Ricky Pearsall available on Monday. Along with defensive lineman Jordan Elliott (knee), offensive lineman Spencer Burford (knee/ankle), and linebacker Nick Martin (concussion), Pearsall did not participate in Thursday's practice.
Three Colts players missed Thursday's practice due to injuries: tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow), wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), and cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf).
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BROCK PURDY OVER 32.5 PASS ATTEMPTS
The 49ers run the third-most offensive plays in the NFL this season. They average 64.7 plays per game and they’ve averaged 68 over the last three. The Niners pass the ball on 55.4 percent of their plays and average over 34 pass attempts per game. Purdy averages 31.67 pass attempts per game. He’s only gone Over 32.5 twice in the six games he’s played, but his total this week is the highest it’s been since Nov. 16 at Arizona. This game is indoors and Colts’ opponents have averaged 38.9 pass attempts per game against them. That’s the second-highest number in the NFL.
