It is being reported by ESPN as of late Thursday morning that Matt Hasselbeck, the 40-year-old veteran who stepped in for Andrew Luck last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, will get the starting nod once again as the Indianapolis Colts face off against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in the Thursday night game that will be televised by CBS at 8:25 PM ET. BetAnySports will get to use Live Betting Extra to make in-game wagers in real time as they keep the NFL betting going all night long, so it should be exciting.

Luck has been nursing a shoulder injury. He has made some throws this week in practice, though nothing in which he really extended himself. Reportedly he will try to throw some before the game as head coach Chuck Pagano makes a decision as to whether he will be active. As an emergency measure, the Colts re-signed Josh Johnson, who had been picked up for last Sunday's game when Luck was shelved, but was released subsequent to that. He would be the backup for tonight.

What is interesting here is that Hasselbeck, who once led the Seattle Seahawks into a Super Bowl, is not going to be 100%, as he has been battling a virus that actually kept him out of practice a couple of days ago. He threw for 282 yards last week but the Colts struggled putting points on the board, needing overtime to turn back Jacksonville by a 16-13 score.

Indy has a 15-game winning streak going against AFC South opposition, but that would appear to be in some peril.

Taking a look at the NFL betting odds as they have been established on this game at BetAnySports, the Texans are the favorites, and this line moved up a couple of points after word got out about Luck:

Houston Texans -4.5
Indianapolis Colts +4.5

Over 41 points -110
Under 41 points -110

There is legitimate question as to whether anything coming out of the Colts' organization should be believed. Coach Chuck Pagano has been coy from the word "go" when it comes to the status of his quarterbacks, going back to last week. There are varying reports about Luck's condition, some of which have speculated about a separated shoulder. We're not sure it really matters to JJ Watt, who will be charging at the passer regardless (he had four sacks against the Colts last year), but Luck has not gotten off to a good start. He's completed only 56% of his passes and has been intercepted seven times.

The Colts got some spark out of Frank Gore last week, but the veteran has fumbled twice inside the five-yard line. BetAnySports patrons understand that coming up with a complement to TY Hilton has been problematic, but it looks as if Dante Moncrief (23 catches, 275 yards) has been equal to the task. The Same can't be said for Andre Johnson, who has just 51 yards in receptions.

Part of Houston's dilemma, aside from "terrible coaching," as Bill "F-Bomb" O'Brien put it last week, is that they have little consistency in their own quarterback situation. Ryan Mallett came in and laid an egg in an embarrassing 48-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week, completing just 12 of 27. Brian Hoyer did well in "garbage time," but O'Brien says he is sticking with Mallett. Let's see if Arian Foster can be a contributor this week; against Atlanta he had eight yards in ten carries and committed a critical fumble.

If you are looking for the best place to wager on Thursday night, try BetAnySports, where you can get reduced juice on NFL betting, as well as some of the quickest payouts in the industry....Deposits are quick too, when you use Bitcoin to make them!!