NFL betting trends: Denver Broncos want a dog for Christmas
By Jeff Glauser
Thanksgiving to Christmas. Favorites to underdogs. It’s amazing how much can change in a month.
In Week 12, the Kansas City Chiefs went to Denver and escaped with an improbable 30-27 victory as a 3.5-point road underdog against the Broncos.
Fast forward to Week 16, and the two teams will meet again from Arrowhead in another Sunday Night Football showdown. This time, the Broncos look to unwrap a holiday gift of their own in the form of a dog.
According to the VegasInsider.com Week 16 Opening Line Report, the early action came on Denver despite dropping three of its last four games.
Kansas City was bet down from 6 to 5.5 and from 5.5 to 5 at various shops and is even lower headed into the weekend. The numbers mark a significant swing from the Broncos -3.5 when these teams played four weeks ago in Denver.
Things may be looking low in the Mile High State, but the Broncos still possess one of the league’s best defenses facing up against a Kansas City offense not exactly lighting it up, so the game may be closer than what it seems to be on paper.
The Chiefs have been one of the best “under” bets in the NFL, watching the low side connect in 10 of 14 games this season. Denver’s offense has accounted for two touchdowns in the last three games and the team is averaging 11 points per game over this span. Unsurprisingly, the under easily connected in each of them.
While the pair combined for 57 in the first encounter, 31 points came in the second-half and extra session. The oddsmakers aren’t expecting another shootout in the rematch, listing this week’s over/under at 37.5; the lowest total posted in Week 16 according to VegasInsider.
The other — and earlier — Christmas matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers has similar stakes: a divisional rivalry between two teams with playoff aspirations. And it could very well be a Dog Day Afternoon. The host Steelers, currently giving 5.5 points, would clinch the AFC North with a victory, while the Ravens would sweep the season series and take the division lead heading into the final week.