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Chargers vs. Broncos Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions for Thursday Night Football
An important battle for playoff positioning in the AFC will take place on Thursday Night Football when the Chargers host the Broncos. Let's sift through the betting options for this matchup and highlight three wagers to consider.
Mike Barner's season record: 45-45 (-5.01 units)
Chargers vs. Broncos Betting Odds
Chargers: Spread -3 (-102), -142 Moneyline (DraftKings)
Broncos: Spread +3 (-118), +128 Moneyline (FanDuel)
Game Total: 41.5 points (BetMGM)
The Broncos have ruled out Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps). This will be his first missed game of the season. The Chargers have ruled out Will Dissly (shoulder) for the second straight week.
Chargers vs. Broncos Betting Picks
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Bo Nix over 21.5 rushing yards (-113 FanDuel Sportsbook) for 1 unit
Nix only threw for 130 yards against the Colts last week. However, he had three touchdown passes to go along with his three interceptions. He also turned eight carries into 23 yards. Over his previous four games, Nix had only totaled nine rushing yards on nine carries.
Nix was more productive on the ground earlier in the season, rushing for at least 25 yards in six of his first nine games. That included rushing six times for 61 yards against the Chargers in Week 6. The Chargers have the seventh-most sacks in the league, so they could force Nix to scramble a lot in this game. That leaves him with a favorable opportunity to reach this over.
Kimani Vidal under 7.5 rush attempts (-130 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit
Losing J.K. Dobbins (knee) has dealt a massive blow to the Chargers' rushing attack. They have the veteran Gus Edwards in the fold, but he only averages 3.4 yards per carry this season. He has not rushed for more than 36 yards in any of his last five games.
Even with Edwards underwhelming, the Chargers have not asked Vidal to take on a more significant workload. He had just three carries against the Buccaneers last week and four or fewer carries in two of the three games since Dobbins went down. The Chargers appear to feel more comfortable with Edwards leading the team in carries, making the under the way to go here with Vidal.
Total Punts 8.5: Over (-135 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 unit
Both of these teams have great defenses. They both allow 17.6 points per game, tied with the Eagles for the lowest mark in the NFL. The Broncos have given up the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league, while the Chargers have allowed the 10th-fewest passing yards per game.
The Broncos and Chargers also don't have overly efficient offenses. They are both tied for the second-most punts in the league. When they played each other in Week 6, they combined to score 39 points. There were nine total punts in that game. Add in the potential sloppiness of playing on a short week and we could see plenty of punts in this matchup.
Chargers vs. Broncos Prediction
The Chargers defeated the Broncos in Denver in Week 6. They will go for the season sweep at home, but they enter on a two game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Broncos have won four straight. It's risky to take the road team on a short week, but these two teams are so evenly matched that it's difficult to envision the Chargers winning both games.
