The San Diego Chargers will visit the Denver Broncos – whom they already beat in week 6, thus potentially rendering this rematch the literal definition of beating a dead horse – at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday, October 30th. These are the odds for people who bet on NFL:
Chargers +5 (-110) 44 (-110)
Broncos -5 (-110) 44 (-110)
The Chargers (3-4) picked up their first road win of the season, a 33-30 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. San Diego came back from a 17-point deficit in the second quarter to send the game into OT. Running back Melvin Gordon ran for 68 yards on 22 carries with two TDs, and caught a 5-yard scoring pass to help bridge the gap. LB Denzel Perryman intercepted Atlanta’s QB Matt Ryan to set up a 33-yard field goal by kicker Josh Lambo to tie the game with 18 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Perryman tackled Falcons’ running back Devonta Freeman to give the Chargers the ball back at the Atlanta 43 for San Diego’s winning drive, which culminated with a 42-yard field goal by Lambo.
The Broncos (5-2) did not actually killed former QB Brock Osweiler as they had promised, but they certainly crushed his spirit and defeated the Houston Texans 27-9 on Monday. Peyton Manning’s default successor, Trevor Siemian, went 14 of 25 for 157 yards and one TD pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Running backs C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker both scored touchdowns as well. Anderson ran for 107 yards on 16 carries, and Booker had 83 yards on 17 attempts. CB Chris ‘Wildcat’ Harris recovered a fumble by Osweiler at the Texans 25 in the fourth quarter, which in turn resulted in a field goal by kicker Brandon McManus to put the Broncos ahead 24-9 and dash Houston’s hopes. Safeties Darian Stewart and T.J. Ward did not sack Osweiler but did hit him hard and often.
As fans who bet on NFL will surely remember – provided they have a slightly better short-term memory than a goldfish – the Chargers bested the Broncos 21-13 at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday, October 13th. This time around, Denver head coach will be back in the sidelines – though whether that will make much of a difference has yet to be seen. The Broncos are 4-0 against the spread in their previous four games in Week 8, and 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven games at Sports Authority Field. Additionally, Denver is 4-1 against the spread in their last five games after an ATS win, and 4-1-1 against the spread in their last six against AFC teams.
The Chargers are 5-0 against the spread when facing a team with a winning record, and 6-0 against the spread in their last six games playing AFC West teams. Moreover, San Diego is 8-1 against the spread in their last nine games against AFC teams, and 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 away games. Stats aside, the Broncos do have the motivation of avenging the earlier loss, which could sway people who bet on NFL at online sportsbooks.