Can the Chargers defend Seed 5?
On Sunday, the Denver Broncos host the team from Los Angeles. The Chargers are favoured in this duel, because for the guests it is still about defending the Seed 5. Baltimore could still pass the Chargers with a win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
For the host, meanwhile, it’s all about the honour of an athlete. Nevertheless, between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, the bookmakers’ betting odds point to a home win.
Denver have only won three home games this season, losing four games in front of a home crowd. The form also works against the Broncos, who have only managed to pick up one win from their past eight games.
Los Angeles have won five away games and lost only three away from home. And the current form also speaks in favour of the visitors, who have five wins from their last six games. Therefore, between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, the odds of the bookmakers are absolutely incomprehensible.
On the Chargers’ side, Austin Ekeler will once again play a decisive role. With 18 touchdowns in 16 games, Denver should keep an eye on him. He is the most dangerous player in the NFL and a guarantee for Los Angeles. Not only can he run, but he already has five touchdowns as a pass receiver to his credit. For this reason, we recommend betting on a touchdown by the running back between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
Denver Broncos – Statistics & Current Form
The Denver Broncos are in 15th place in the AFC and last place in the AFC West. The NFL playoffs have long been a non-issue and the Broncos have no real incentive to get a win on the final day of play. On the sidelines this week, Jerry Rosburg is also the interim coach after Nathaniel Hackett was fired on Dec. 26, 2022. In the first game under the new coach, there was at least an improvement in performance that should make every Broncos fan feel positive.
Is the criticism of Russell Wilson justified?
The former coach took a verbal swipe at Russell Wilson after his firing. In an interview, Hackett said it’s hard to work with a quarterback who has more bathrooms than he has thrown touchdown passes. Russell Wilson’s response was not lost on him, but it was non-verbal. In the first game under the new coach, he had a great performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. He threw passes for 222 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns himself. So it might have been the coach’s play-calling after all that kept Denver from finding their footing this season.
The NFL’s weakest offense
Despite the good showing against Kansas, there is no disregarding the fact that Denver has the weakest offense in the NFL. On average, the Broncos score only 16.0 points per game and are even weaker than the Houston Texans. Jerry Rosburg’s team is not particularly strong in either the running or passing game. Defensively, the team is good, but not good enough to compensate for the offensive weakness. On average, the Broncos only allow 20.7 points to opponents and as a result, most games are very low-scoring.
Key players for the Denver Broncos:
QB: Russell Wilson – RB: Latavius Murray WR: Jerry Jeudy – LB: Josey Jewell – K: Brandon McManus
Los Angeles Chargers – Statistics & current form
The Los Angeles Chargers are in fourth place in the AFC and currently secure seed 5 as the runners-up in the AFC West. They are assured of the NFL playoffs, but Brandon Staley’s side could still be overtaken by Baltimore. For this reason, the Chargers are desperate to win in Denver to get the easier opponent in the first round of the playoffs. As of now, Los Angeles would play the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Ravens would have to travel to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The NFL’s top scorer is Austin Ekeler
The Chargers’ running back is the most dangerous player in the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns. He leads his team in both categories and went only five games without a touchdown. He even put the ball in the end zone at least twice in six games. He didn’t make the most yards in the NFL, but he is incredibly effective. In the preseason, Austin Ekeler even scored twenty touchdowns and maybe he can match that in the game against the Denver Broncos.
The problems against the running game
Los Angeles is allowing too many points overall, especially with the playoffs in mind, and that could be a big disadvantage. On average, the Chargers are conceding 22.1 points and that is primarily due to the weak defence against the run game. Opponents average 142.1 rushing yards, which ranks Brandon Stanley’s team 27th in the National Football League. That shouldn’t be a problem against the Broncos, though, because Denver isn’t particularly strong in the running game. With LA controlling the opposition’s passing game well, the visitors look to be favourites, and rightly so.
Key players for the Los Angeles Chargers:
QB: Justin Herbert – RB: Austin Ekeler – WR: Mike Williams – FS: Derwin James – K: Cameron Dicker
Denver Broncos – Los Angeles Chargers Head-to-head / H2H record
The direct comparison in this duel goes to the underdog and host from Denver. The Broncos won 66 games in the history of the NFL and went only 40 times as a loser from the field. However, the last duel, in mid-October 2022, was won by the Chargers. Los Angeles prevailed 19:16 in overtime at that time. This strengthens our prediction in favour of the away team between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. Especially in their current form, the visitors should get a win.
Denver Broncos – Los Angeles Chargers Tip
We at Wettbasis are playing a bet between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers on a HC win of +3.5 for the visitors. There is nothing in favour of the hosts, as neither their form is good nor their home record intimidating.
It’s a different story for the Chargers, because not only their form is good, but also their record away from home. Moreover, Los Angeles still have one goal in mind for this season, while the hosts will already be mentally preparing for the coming season. Anything other than a win for the visitors would therefore be a big surprise.
Between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, the odds for over 36.5 points are also very interesting. On average, 44 points are dropped in games involving the Chargers. The Broncos’ results usually argue against this tip, but with a new coach on the side and a good performance against the Chiefs, the tide has turned. In addition, the host has no pressure and can play free. For this reason, we can well imagine that more than 36.5 points will fall in this duel.
