NFL Live Betting: Broncos Favored Against Unbeaten Chiefs In AFC West Showdown
by Bovada Sportsbook Staff | Nov. 15, 2013
Is it a sign of disrespect for the Kansas City Chiefs that they are the only unbeaten team in the NFL yet are 8-point Bovada underdogs for Sunday night’s huge AFC West matchup at Denver? The Chiefs even had last week off to game plan for the high-flying Broncos. The total was set at 49.5 and there will be live betting.
Bet on the NFL at Bovada Sportsbook. Don’t have a Bovada account? Join now. Raise your game.
This game has big playoff implications in terms of potential home-field advantage throughout the AFC’s postseason. Whichever team doesn’t win the division would be forced into a wild-card game and would almost assuredly have to win three road games to reach the Super Bowl. At worst, the AFC West winner should be a No. 2 seed and get the first week of the playoffs off before hosting a divisional round game. Denver is the -250 division favorite with Kansas City at +160.
The Chiefs have fattened up on arguably the NFL’s easiest schedule so far with not a win over a team currently above .500. That all changes with two matchups upcoming against the Chargers, a rematch with Denver in Week 13, a trip to Washington and a home game against Indianapolis. OK, San Diego and Washington aren’t above .500 but solid teams. The only easy win looks to be Week 15 at Oakland. The Broncos play just one team other than Kansas City the rest of the way currently with a winning record: next Sunday night at New England.
Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is having another Pro Bowl season with 725 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and a team-leading 47 catches for 389 yards and two scores. He will be the focal point of the Broncos defense. Kansas City QB Alex Smith has thrown only four picks on the season but has just two TD passes in the past five games. Defensively, the Chiefs are No. 1 in scoring in allowing just 12.3 points per game and tops in takeaways with 23. They also lead the NFL with 36 sacks.
That defense will face by far its biggest challenge as the Broncos lead the league in scoring at 41.2 points per game, on pace to shatter the NFL record. Peyton Manning is No. 1 with 3,249 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. That latter number is tied with New England’s Tom Brady (2007) for the most TD passes through nine games. Brady set the NFL record with 50 that season.
Manning aggravated an ankle injury in Sunday’s 28-20 win over San Diego, the only game this season in which the Broncos have been held under 33 points. It was also the first Denver game to go under the total; by comparison seven of the Chiefs’ nine games have. An MRI came back negative Monday and Manning will start this game. He won’t be 100 percent so expect the Chiefs to bring heavy pressure all night. Indianapolis used that strategy to upset the Broncos in Week 7.
Denver remains without head coach John Fox after he had a heart procedure. He could return in a few weeks, with Jack Del Rio the interim head coach. Fox may attend this game in a non-working capacity.
The Broncos are hoping to get back Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey. He has played in only two games because of a foot injury. Fellow Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller has been back for three games after accepting a six-game suspension to start the season. He is starting to round into form with his best game of the season against San Diego (six tackles, sack).
Denver swept Kansas City last season, but that was a 2-14 Chiefs club without Coach Andy Reid and Smith. The Week 17 game in Denver was a 38-3 Broncos blowout. Manning threw for 304 yards and three scores as Denver clinched the AFC’s top seed and Kansas City locked down the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Make real time bets on play-by-play and props during the live games at Bovada.
