Tonight’s TNF matchup features two NFL franchises that were expecting to contend for the Super Bowl this year. After four weeks of play, both the Denver Broncos and the visiting Indianapolis Colts need a win to keep their heads above water, with the loser of tonight’s contest potentially falling into too deep of a hole to climb out of before the season’s end.
The Broncos are 2-2 and in third place in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Denver should really be 1-3, but they somehow managed to defeat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 3, winning by an awkward score of 11-10.
The Las Vegas Raiders, who are currently last in the AFC West, hold a 1-3 record. Their only win? It was against the Denver Broncos. Outside of Denver’s win against the 49ers, their only other victory was over the lowly Houston Texans.
So, why are online NFL sportsbooks projecting the Broncos as a 3-point favorite over the Colts?
Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
- Colts Point Spread: +3.0
- Colts Moneyline: +155
- Broncos Point Spread: -3.0
- Broncos Moneyline: -180
- Over/Under: 42.0
Indianapolis has also experienced a disappointing 2022-23 season thus far. After signing former Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan to take over under center for the Colts, it was expected that the team would elevate to the top of the AFC South Division and contend for a Super Bowl championship.
The Colts are currently 1-2-1 and are behind the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans in the division standings, however, they are only half-a-game back of both teams.
That’s why even at this early juncture in the season, winning this game is crucial for both franchises. A victory will place them back on track for their preseason expectations despite their struggles over the first few weeks.
For those that are leaning toward betting on the Denver Broncos, their current moneyline odds will require wagers of $1.80 to net a $1 payout. We’ve shopped the betting odds for tonight, and the best Broncos’ moneyline is posted at BetOnline at -174.
While both teams seem evenly matched on paper, the Broncos’ edge in the point spread is due to the injury status of Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor, who will miss tonight’s game.
Taylor was the best rusher in the league last season, but he’s off to a rocky start this year and is not performing up to his 2021-22 standard.
Indianapolis will likely employ a running-back-by-committee approach and lean on the passing game a little more than usual with Taylor out this evening.
For gamblers that are confident in the Colts beating the Denver Broncos, odds are highest at BetUS, where they’ve posted an NFL moneyline of +155.
Of all the online pro football sportsbooks we frequent here at SBL, all of them featured the same over/under of 42.0. However, there is some variance in the point spread if you shop at MyBookie, as they are offering -3.5 on Denver and +3.5 on Indianapolis.
This evening’s edition of Thursday Night Football will kick off at 8:20 PM and can be seen streaming on Amazon Prime.
Thursday Night Football Betting Odds – Bovada Sportsbook, BetOnline, BetUS, MyBookie
Source – ESPN
