Chiefs vs. Broncos Total Pick
Can the Kansas City Chiefs add to the Denver Broncos’ offensive struggles when the two meet up on Sunday at 4:25PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Denver is favored at home, as the Broncos are getting odds of -3.5 points against the Chiefs. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 38.5 points. Kansas City has won four straight meetings with the Broncos and the two are 4-0-1 with the over in their last five encounters. The public betting in this game has 78 percent of the wagers going on the Chiefs on the road. Sunday’s game takes place from Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colorado and will air live on CBS.
Kansas City has already locked up the AFC South and will be fourth in the AFC playoffs next weekend. They sit at 9-6 on the season and 8-7 with the under. The Chiefs are averaging 25.9 points and 389 yards per game on offense, but Alex Smith will be rested on Sunday as Patrick Mahomes gets his first NFL start. The rookie QB has not seen any action this year. Rookie Kareem Hunt has gotten back on track in recent games and has 1,292 rushing yards with seven touchdowns while Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce have combined for 2,221 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Defensively, KC is allowing 21 points and 377.1 yards per game. Justin Houston has 9.5 sacks and 59 tackles to lead the unit.
Denver saw a two-game win streak end in a 27-11 loss at Washington last week to drop to 5-10 on the year. The Broncos are also 8-7 with the under, hitting it in five of their last seven games. Denver has struggled on offense all year, averaging just 17.7 points and 343.7 yards per game. Their pass offense is putting up only 227 yards per contest. Brock Osweiler has thrown for 1,088 yards and five touchdowns with five interceptions at QB while C.J. Anderson has run for 946 yards and three scores. Demaryius Thomas has added 892 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Denver is allowing just 294.7 yards per game and 23.7 points. Von Miller has 10 sacks to lead the unit.
I expect this game to be a struggle. Denver’s offense hasn’t looked good against most teams and the players don’t seem to respond Osweiler. It’s hard to imagine that Mahomes will light up a good defense in his first-ever NFL action. Look for a lot of ugly play as neither team has much to play for in this one.
NFL WEEK 17 PREDICTION: CHIEFS/BRONCOS UNDER 38.5