After missing out on the postseason following a Super Bowl win the year before, the Denver Broncos are eager to return to the playoffs. Denver has an all-star caliber defense, but questions at quarterback linger after neither Trevor Siemian nor Paxton Lynch were able to separate themselves last year. The question now is whether or not one of them can emerge as a legitimate option this season. The first chance for one to prove themselves as the better quarterback comes this Thursday against the Chicago Bears.
This matchup in Week 1 of the preseason will take place on Thursday, August 10, 2017,
at 8 p.m. ET at Soldier Field. It will be broadcast on NFL Network.
Week 1 NFL Preseason Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Denver Broncos PK
Chicago Bears PK
Over/Under 36
Odds Analysis
John Fox will enjoy facing off against his old team. Fox coached the Broncos from 2011 to 2014 and is very familiar with his former defense. He will likely have a little bit of fun with it being preseason, but may also call a trick play or two to be cheeky. During his time as the Bears coach, Fox has gone 4-4 in preseason and overall his record is 32-28.
Vance Joseph is entering his first season as an NFL head coach after being both a player and assistant for over two decades. Virtually all of his experience is with the secondary so expect this unit to be exceptional in pass coverage. That’s not good news for a team like Chicago that is still trying to decide on a quarterback.
Matchup to Watch
Although Denver has its issues at quarterback, the situation in the Mile High City is nowhere near as dire as it is in Chicago.
The Bears were the laughing stock of the offseason for signing Mike Glennon to a $45 million deal and then following that up by drafting Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick. There’s a very good chance that neither option will end up being better than the beleaguered Jay Cutler, but the Bears decided to sink as many resources into the quarterback position as possible.
Glennon wasn’t half-bad in his first two seasons in the NFL, but became expendable after the Buccaneers draft Jameis Winston No. 1 overall back in 2015. Sinking that much money to him feels very much like the deal Houston made with Brock Osweiler though and without the prior results.
As for Trubisky, college football diehards will tell you they were puzzled by why NFL teams liked Trubisky so much more than any other quarterback. Trubisky wasn’t as good in North Carolina’s offense as Marquise Williams was and both Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson looked better in collge. There is a lot of pressure on his shoulders now…can he handle it?
Coaching Angle
Joseph is going to be fired up to coach his first preseason game and look for some of that to carry over to the defense. Although the results of first-year head coaches are mostly in line with the norm, there is a lot of excitement for his first game.
Whereas many coaches seem like they are going through the motions, Joseph really seems like he can’t wait to step on the field as the main man. That will be an advantage against a seasoned vet like John Fox who will sleepwalk through the game.
Free ATS Pick
Both teams are in the midst of quarterback battles, so don’t be surprised if the first-team offenses stay out a series or two longer than they typically would. That trickle-down effect should lead to the second- and third-teams staying out longer too.
Over and the Broncos are the right plays to make in this one and it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to parlay them together.
Week 1 NFL Preseason Odds: Broncos 27, Bears 17
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