Broncos Win-Total Pick
Are the Denver Broncos going to once again be a force in the AFC in the 2017 NFL Season?
According to the oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Broncos are currently listed with 25/1 odds to win Super Bowl LII. Their odds to win the AFC Championship are set at 14/1, while their over/under for wins is listed at 8.5. The over carries a line of +100, while the under is listed at -130.
NFL Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
A year after winning the Super Bowl, Denver was just 9-7 in the 2016 season, finishing out of the playoff race. After the season, Gary Kubiak announced his retirement due to health reasons and the Broncos handed the reins over to Vance Joseph. He was the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins last season. The Broncos’ 9 wins in 2016 were their fewest since 2011.
The Broncos had one of the best defenses again in 2016. Denver allowed just 18.6 points and 316.1 yards per game last year. They amassed 42 sacks as a team while creating 27 turnovers. Pass rusher DeMarcus Ware announced his retirement in the offseason after missing most of 2016 with an injury. Still leading the unit this year is Von Miller, who had 13.5 sacks and 78 tackles in 2016. Shane Ray emerged as an added threat in 2016 with eight sacks as well. Denver also drafted Florida State defensive end DeMarcus Walker in the second round of the draft.
Offensively, Denver struggled last season. Trevor Siemian was in his first year as the starting QB. He threw for 3,401 yards and 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He is back along with his pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Where Denver needs help is the run game. The team had just 1,484 yards as a team in 2016. Rookie Devontae Booker led the team with 612 yards, but he needs to take a step forward this year. The Broncos added often-injured Jamaal Charles in the offseason in hopes of getting a big-play spark in the backfield. C.J. Anderson is still in the mix as well.
Denver will once again deal with the competitive AFC West schedule that features the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers. The Broncos will also make road trips to Washington, Philadelphia and Indy this season, among other locations. The Broncos will have to host the Cowboys, Giants, Bengals and Patriots as well. I like Denver’s defense a lot. The Broncos should be able to be competitive, but I am not sure their offense is good enough to lead them to wins in those close games. Siemian doesn’t seem like a play maker and I don’t see their run game making a huge step forward.
NFL WIN-TOTAL PREDICTION: DENVER BRONCOS UNDER 8.5 (-130)