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It’s been a stunning slide for the Denver Broncos this season, and that is reflected in this week’s spread. The New York Jets will come to town and are actually favored to win this Week 14 matchup, which seemed pretty unfathomable before the start of the season.
But Denver has lost eight consecutive games and sit at just 3-9 on the season. The Jets, meanwhile, are 5-7, a record much better than most predicted when looking at their team on paper to begin the year. The Broncos would love to break out of their doldrums but quarterback issues make it hard to believe this team can easily turn it around.
It’s been a horrendous season for Denver and a home loss to the Jets would add more insult to injury. The spread is tight, though, as the oddsmakers certainly wouldn’t be shocked if the Broncos defended their home turf to break the long losing skid.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 14 game is set for Sunday, December 10, 2017, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Jets -1.5
Denver Broncos +1.5
Over/Under 41.5
Odds Analysis
The Jets are listed as small favorites and a whopping 77 percent of the action is on New York to cover. Everyone has seen how badly the Broncos have struggled of late and believe the team might be packing it in the rest of the way.
The scoring total is low but not abnormally so. The oddsmakers may be counting on a defensive touchdown in a game that could feature several turnovers. The “over” is the more popular choice.
Injury Report
Paxton Lynch — The Broncos’ quarterback remains out with a high ankle sprain he suffered in a Week 12 loss to the Raiders. Trevor Siemian is the team starter for now but Lynch would love to get back and have a chance to prove himself down the stretch for 2018.
Domata Peko Sr. — Denver’s veteran nose tackle missed his first game in eight years on Sunday, sidelined with a knee injury. Prior to last Sunday, Peko had started in 123 straight games. There’s no clear timetable yet for his return.
Derek Wolfe — The Broncos’ starting defensive end was placed on injured reserve this week with neck injury. Wolfe suffered the injury against Oakland a couple weeks ago and left the field on a cart. The injury won’t require surgery but will sideline him for a couple months.
Key Stat
307.3. That’s the number of yards per game the Broncos’ defense is allowing, which is once again one of the best marks in the NFL. The issue is that the opponents are regularly turning short fields into points, as Denver is giving up 26.3 points per contest.
Denver still has impressive personnel on that side of the ball, but it isn’t getting any help from the offense or the special teams. If the Broncos plan to take care of business at home in this one, they will need to have a strong outing from the defense.
It should happen, as this unit could harass Jets quarterback Josh McCown into a bad day. McCown is playing solid football but pressure on him could give the excellent secondary some turnover opportunities.
Denver’s offense is a joke right now and the defense has not been able to pick up the slack of late, but look for a solid performance at home in this one.
Free ATS Pick
The Jets have done much better than believed and enter this game with the public on their side, but it’s a lot to ask for an East Coast team to go on the road to the West Coast against a similarly talented opponent and pick up the win.
The Broncos have a woeful quarterback situation and any team that can’t throw can be in trouble from week to week, but look for Siemian to be serviceable enough to help get his team over the hump. Denver’s long national nightmare should be over with a victory at home in this one over the Jets.
The Broncos are a good choice on the moneyline, while the “over” is the choice in a game that could feature a defensive touchdown and some short fields.
NFL Odds: Broncos 24, Jets 20
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