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It's Thursday Night Football in Los Angeles as the Chargers host the Denver Broncos for an AFC West battle! It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Broncos-Chargers prediction and pick.
Broncos-Chiefs Last Game – Matchup History
The Chargers defeated the Broncos in Denver in Week 6, 23-16. The Bolts stormed out to a 23-0 lead and then the Broncos almost came back scoring 16 unanswered.
Overall Series: Broncos lead 73-56-1
Here are the Broncos-Chargers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Broncos-Chargers Odds
Denver Broncos: +3 (-105)
Moneyline: +138
Los Angeles Chargers: -3 (-115)
Moneyline: -164
Over: 42.5 (-110)
Under: 42.5 (-110)
How to Watch Broncos vs. Chargers
Time: 8:15 ET/5:15 PT
TV: Prime Video
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Broncos Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Broncos are in a great position to cover this spread. The conditions will be great as they are playing in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. In the two games the Broncos have played in a dome this season, they have outscored opponents 62-29 and have won both games against the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints. The Broncos did lose to the Chargers earlier this year, but both teams are playing at different levels right now.
The Broncos are hot. They have won six of their last eight games and have stormed ahead of LA in the playoff standings. Denver is currently the 6th seed and if the season ended today, would be facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. This game against LA is huge because the loser will likely be the 7th seed, and will be in Buffalo for the first round of the playoffs.
Against the Colts on Sunday, the Broncos excelled on defense. The offense was non-existent for the majority of the game until late. A 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown broke the game open in the 4th quarter. Bo Nix threw three picks but also threw three touchdowns. Facing a much better defense in LA, one of the top defenses in the NFL, Nix must protect the ball. The Chargers are elite and picking off opposing QBs. Rookie cornerback Tarbeeb Still is someone Nix must pay attention to.
Pat Surtain II injured his ankle against the Colts but was a full participant in practice on Monday.
Why The Chargers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Chargers are coming off an embarrassment at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs were missing a ton of key players on defense as well as some on offense. Yet, the Bucs scored 40 points against the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL. That is no longer the case as the Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and Bolts all average 17.6 points per game now.
The Bolts had a shot to go up 24-10 against Tampa Bay on Sunday. However, a few bad plays on offense forced them to punt the ball inside their own territory and the Bucs then found a way to get a field goal in before the half. Down 13-17 at the half, Tampa Bay ended the game scoring 30 unanswered. The Chargers could not move the ball offensively and Mike Evans took over the game in LA. The Chargers now are expected to bounce back against a very good team that is playing their best football right now.
Justin Herbert was clearly hurt against the Buccaneers. However, he will play again against Denver. If LA wants to compete in this game, he must be able to run and escape the pocket. He was unable to do that last game and if that is the case against Denver's defense, then the Chargers might be screwed before the game starts. JK Dobbins remains out and the Chargers run game consists of Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal. Edwards has just 87 carries on the year for 297 yards and has a long of just 12. Vidal has 33 carries for 107 yards.
The Chargers had too many drives against Tampa Bay that were three-and-outs or very short possessions. Against Denver, they must move the ball at least to the other side of the 50 throughout the game. If they don’t, Denver will see them have the field advantage and have better opportunities to score.
Final Broncos-Chargers Prediction & Pick
Dobbins had one of his better games of the season when the Bolts beat the Broncos in Denver earlier this year. With him out, the Bolts do not have a run game. Unless Herbert can run on his own, the Broncos will stop it. Denver will cover this spread on the road and may even beat the Chargers to improve to 10-5. This game has a lot of stakes as facing the Steelers in the playoffs is a much better matchup than going to Buffalo and taking on the Super Bowl favorites.
Final Broncos-Chargers Prediction & Pick: Broncos +3 (-105)
