The San Diego Chargers have enjoyed a strong effort from their offense this season, but they are still battling for a chance to play in the post-season. On Thursday night they will take on the Denver Broncos in pro football betting action that will take place at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, with kickoff scheduled at 8:30 PM ET.
The Broncos are 11-2 and lead the AFC West. They are vying for the best record in the AFC, so that they can be the host through the entire playoff process. They are a game ahead of the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, and while they own a tie-breaker over Kansas City, they do not have that over the Pats.
In the NFL betting lines that are posted on this game at BetAnySports, the Broncos are the clear favorites:
NFL betting lines Courtesy of BetAnySports USA Sportsbook
Denver Broncos -10
San Diego Chargers +10
Over 56.5 Points -110
Under 56.5 Points -110
After their 51 points last week, the Broncos got back toward a 40-point average, and they may not be facing any more of a defensive challenge this week. The Chargers have been inefficient, to say the least on defense. According to drive stats that are provided by the folks at Football Outsiders, San Diego has allowed 37.29 yards per drive, which is next to last in the league. The only thing that has been a saving grace for them is that they have the best average line of scrimmage starting point in the NFL, as opponents have started out on the 23-yard line (on average).
Pro football bettors know that the real weakness of this stop unit is its inability to slow down the run, as they have yielded 4.8 yards a carry. So Knowshon Moreno is a good bet to continue giving the Broncos some balance in the ground attack. He may even surpass 1000 yards in this game. And that will only make it easier for one of the great quarterbacks in NFL history to operate.
With 45 touchdowns and nine interceptions, Peyton Manning is in a position to set some NFL records, including most TD’s and most passing yards in a season. He’ll have to go without Wes Welker, who has shown the effects of last week’s concussion and has not been cleared to play. But BetAnySports customers have seen that he has done such a good job at spreading the ball around that they can make up for it. Demariyus Thomas and Eric Decker both have over 70 catches and 1000 yards. And then there is Julius Thomas, the tight end who has scored eleven touchdowns. When you add Moreno and the 48 receptions he has out of the backfield, you can see that there are a lot of places Manning can go.
Philip Rivers has had perhaps the best season of his career, with 26 touchdown passes and 70% completions. Clearly the new system that has been installed by first-year coach Mike McCoy has been to his liking. What is most impressive about what he’s done is that he has had to deal with almost weekly shuffling on the offensive line, as well as a receiver corps that has been thinned out by injuries. It hasn’t hurt that Keenan Allen, the rookie out of California, has emerged to become this team’s most dangerous receiver, averaging 14.8 yards a catch. As far as short-range targets are concerned, he has running back Danny Woodhead and Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates to work with, so he is well-equipped to trade points.
The question is whether his defense can be equal to the task. The weather is pretty good there, in the 40s as game time approaches. Are we talking “over” here?
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