Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos Prediction, Odds, Line, Spread, and Picks for Thursday Night Football - October 6 | 2022 NFL Football Season
The Denver Broncos will play the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night in the Mile High City. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses last week, so they'll look to bounce back tonight. The Broncos are down to 2-2 after their 32-23 defeat at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Colts are now 1-2-1 after falling to the Tennessee Titans 24-17 at home. These teams have only met thrice since the 2016 season began, and each team's roster has undergone major changes in the last several years.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos Betting Odds
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Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos Match Details
Fixture: Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
Date & Time: Thursday, October 6, 8:15 p.m. EDT
Venue: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos Key Stats
The Colts' offense has been awful to start the year, as they rank dead last in points per game with an average of just 14.3 through four weeks. It'll be even tougher to move the ball today, as star running back Jonathan Taylor has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Taylor led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 TDs last year, but he's had a slow start to the season prior to the injury.
Backup Nyheim Hines should benefit from Taylor's absence, but it won't be easy to fill Taylor's shoes. Veteran QB Matt Ryan had a really rough opening two weeks, but lately he's looked better with his new team. Still, the Broncos' defense has been excellent all year, and they give up the fourth-fewest total yards per game, so expect them to put pressure on the Colts' weak offensive line all night.
New Broncos QB Russell Wilson hasn't been super consistent yet in Denver, but he'll be up against one of the worst pass defenses in the league tonight. Indianapolis' defensive stats aren't glaringly bad, but their yards allowed numbers are misleading due to the Colts' offense turning the ball over a ton of times so far.
Javonte Williams, the Broncos' leading rusher, suffered an ACL and LCL tear last week and is expected to be out for the season. This is a huge blow to Denver's offense, who were already struggling to put up points. Melvin Gordon should see more carries now, but it's possible that Denver will rely on Wilson more to make plays. The Broncos' receiving corps is solid too, with Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy as the main targets. Sutton currently ranks 7th in the NFL in receiving yards with 343. As poor as Indy's pass defense has performed, they have been one of the better teams at stopping the run, so expect Denver to put the ball in Wilson's hands a lot more tonight.
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Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos Betting Prediction
With each team missing their leading rusher, both offenses will have to rethink their offensive game plans. Currently, these teams rank 30th and 32nd in points scored, and without their star running backs, expect a low scoring contest. The Colts also have a streak of nine straight games going under, so expect this game to go under as well.
The Broncos have underperformed all year, but the Colts have really only looked good during the second half of their lone win versus the Chiefs. Back Denver to win and cover as the Colts' offense should be shut down without their best player.
Prediction: Broncos -3 (-120)
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