Niners Nation
Both teams have some playoff chances
NFL Week 15 (and the Festivus week) starts with Thursday Night Football. Tonight, we have an AFC West matchup with the Denver Broncos traveling to Northern California to face the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Broncos didn’t do well in their first game against the Chargers, which was at Mile-High, so a win here would be crucial for divisional concerns. The big thing is that a win over the Chargers would allow the Broncos to clinch a playoff spot.
That’s it. Broncos win, and they are in.
That means the Broncos are in full control of their destiny, which usually helps in the motivation factor. On the other hand, the Chargers can get a playoff spot as well with a win. However, they also need losses or ties from the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins play the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, and 49ers fans may want a Dolphins win to improve their draft positioning. So, if you want to see Jim Harbaugh in the playoffs and are a 49ers fan, you may not like that scenario playing out juuuuust yet.
This also means that the motivation is in the Broncos’ favor tonight. While I see the Chargers potentially winning this, the Broncos would want to have their playoff tickets punched, which might mean a lot more momentum.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Chargers favored by 2.5 points. Simple solution: Take the Broncos and the points. The 2.5 points nearly makes this a pick-em, but as I said above: The Broncos are going to scratch and claw the entire way. While I’d love to see the Chargers in the playoffs, I think the stakes are slightly different between both teams this week. And since this isn’t the 49ers who use the “backs against the wall” excuse every other week, I expect the Broncos to have some urgency.
The over-under is set at 41.5. I’m inclined to take the under on this one. I think this will be a pretty defensive effort. I’m not confident about it, but I feel good putting some money on those points.
Now to prop bets. Gus Edwards has +800 for the first touchdown of the game. Throw some money on that one. Does he do it? Maybe. I just like +800.
Bet responsibly. Enjoy the game, and if you win, Happy Festivus.
