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The Denver Broncos (9-5, 11-3 ATS, 9-5 O/U) will face off against the Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, 9-5 ATS, 5-9 O/U) in a key AFC West matchup this Thursday night. The Broncos come off a solid home victory against the Colts, while the Chargers suffered a disappointing loss to the Buccaneers at home. Earlier this season, Los Angeles edged out Denver with a 23-16 win in October.
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Broncos Aim for a Playoff Push
The Denver Broncos are on the hunt for their fifth consecutive win. Currently, they hold the second wildcard position in the AFC playoff race. With a record of 6-2 in their last eight games, the Broncos are proving their mettle. They recently triumphed over the Browns with a score of 41-32 and secured a dominating 31-13 victory against the Colts, covering the spread as 4.5-point favorites. Impressively, they have managed to cover the spread in five straight contests.
Quarterback Bo Nix has shown consistency, throwing for 260 or more yards in four games this season. However, he only managed 133 yards in last week’s triumph. Overall, he has accrued 2,972 passing yards with a 20:11 touchdown to interception ratio, along with 327 rushing yards.
Running back Javonte Williams has experienced a dip in performance recently, totaling 461 rushing yards this season. Meanwhile, Jaleel McLaughlin registered 21 rushing yards before exiting last week with a quad injury, bringing his season total to 388 rushing yards. His status remains uncertain after practicing Tuesday.
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has emerged as a significant target, achieving 78 or more receiving yards in four of his last six games. He boasts 878 receiving yards in the season. The Broncos’ offense has been potent, averaging over 29 points in their last four outings and 311 yards per game.
Defensively, the Broncos are among the league’s top units, allowing 19 or fewer points in four of their last five games, including a mere six points against the Falcons. They did concede 32 points to the Browns during this stretch but limited the Colts to just 319 total yards last week. The pass defense ranks 16th, while the rush defense impressively sits at fifth.
Denver averages 24 points per game, placing them 11th overall, while their defense restricts opponents to only 17.6 points, ranking them second in the league.
Chargers Look to Bounce Back
The Los Angeles Chargers are striving for their ninth victory of the season. Currently, they are positioned one game behind the Broncos in the AFC wildcard standings, making this matchup crucial. After a narrow defeat against the Chiefs two weeks ago, the Chargers faced a disheartening 40-17 loss to the Buccaneers last week, despite being three-point favorites. They have managed to cover the spread in three of their last five games.
Quarterback Justin Herbert has been reliable yet has struggled to exceed 218 passing yards in four of his last five games, recording just 195 yards last week. This season, he has thrown for 2,959 yards with a commendable 16:2 touchdown to interception ratio, although he is dealing with an ankle injury and is expected to play.
The Chargers’ rushing attack is decent, even with J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve, leaving Gus Edwards to shoulder the majority of the workload. Edwards has reached 50 rushing yards in two games this season, totaling 298 rushing yards. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey has been effective, netting 80 or more receiving yards in three of his last four games, contributing to his season total of 874 receiving yards. However, the Chargers’ offense has struggled recently, scoring 23 or fewer points in four of their last five games, averaging 310 yards per game.
On the defensive side, the Chargers have shown strength, allowing 19 or fewer points in four of their last six games. Despite some challenges against Baltimore, they managed to hold the Chiefs to 19 points earlier this month. However, last week’s performance was alarming, as they surrendered 506 yards. The pass defense ranks 10th while the rush defense is 19th.
Los Angeles averages 21 points per game, placing them 20th in the league. Their defense is impressive, conceding an average of only 17.6 points, ranking third overall.
Best Bets for Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers
