The Denver Broncos aren’t going to be making the playoffs this year, but they would love to get some swagger back heading into the offseason. It was only two years ago that this team was a Super Bowl champion behind a ferocious defense.
The group showed that potential once again last time out in a shutout of the Jets and hope for another dominant showing in a Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis is one of the few teams in the NFL with a poorer record than Denver at 3-10 compared to 4-9, but does have the home field advantage.
This game isn’t exactly one of the most titillating on the schedule, but it at least should be competitive.
Watch this regular season Week 15 matchup live on Thursday, December 14, 2017, at 8:25 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Denver Broncos -2
Indianapolis Colts +2
Over/Under 41.5
Odds Analysis
The Broncos are getting the majority of the action to cover this spread early on, which has pushed it up a half-point since its release. Right now Denver is still a good pick as most margins tend to be three points or more. Nearly 79 percent of the early money has gone on the Broncos to cover so this line could continue to move.
The scoring total is pretty low, which isn’t a surprise with a pair of inept offenses on the field. The “under” is the much more popular play thus far and this total could be dropping.
Key Stat
100. That’s the number of total yards the stingy Denver defense gave up last time out in a 23-0 win over te Jets which snapped the team’s eight-game losing streak. The Broncos have allowed a lot of points this year, but that has been more on the special teams and the offense than the defense.
When other teams have to start from their territory, the Broncos defense is good at holding up. Denver forced two turnovers last time out, as Josh McCown threw an interception that was grabbed by Darian Stewart, while Adam Gotsis recovered a fumble.
McCown was knocked from the game due to injury and Denver licked its chops when Bryce Petty came into the game. He finished an ugly 2-of-9 for 14 yards in the contest as the Broncos locked down late.
Denver is favored in this game because its defense is the only elite group for either team on offense or defence. The Broncos hope to put together another impressive performance against a Colts offense that often struggles to score points.
Matchup to Watch
Denver offense vs the Colts defense. This is an interesting matchup because it pits two struggling units against each other.
The Indianapolis’ defense ranks dead last in the league in points against, with opposing offenses averaging 27.5 points per game against the Colts this year. Four opponents have scored 30 points or more against the Colts, with the Rams and Seahawks both hanging 46 on Indianapolis this year.
The Broncos are hardly the high-octane offense of Seattle and Los Angeles, however. Denver is averaging 17.2 points and 315.3 yards per game per season. The team has used three quarterbacks on the season, and none have found good results. Trevor Siemian is expected to be under center for this one and he hopes to take his team on at least a couple of scoring drives.
Free ATS Pick
The Broncos aren’t playoff-caliber this year but they are better than their record. This game is on the road but there won’t be a charged-up atmosphere. The Colts should be able to hang around but Denver is the easy choice to both win this game and cover the spread. Indianapolis is undermanned and won’t be able to win in front of a frustrated home crowd.
The “under” is the choice as points are going to be at a premium when two subpar offenses face off.
NFL Odds: Broncos 20, Colts 16
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