The Denver Broncos (+10) are flying east to face their AFC West foe Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. CBS is scheduled to broadcast the action and this early afternoon game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs Betting Preview
Denver is playing the role of underdog and is currently getting 10 points in this AFC game. The Broncos are also receiving +325 moneyline odds while the Chiefs are -475. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 56 points, and if one team can find paydirt early, it would likely result in a reasonable betting opportunity in-game.
Sharp bettors have been leaning toward the Chiefs. The opening line was originally placed at -9 while the O/U was initially 55.5.
The Broncos have lost 1.1 units so far and are 2-4-1 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 3-4. The Chiefs have been a nice surprise for moneyline bettors this season, gaining 5.9 units. The team is 7-0 ATS and has an O/U record of 4-3.
The Broncos are 3-4 straight up (SU), including 1-1 SU against AFC West opponents. The Chiefs are 6-1 SU overall and 2-0 SU versus divisional foes.
The Broncos are coming off a resounding 45-10 victory over Arizona in Week 7. Case Keenum completed 14-of-21 passes for only 161 yards, along with one TD and an interception. Phillip Lindsay (90 yards on 14 rushes, one TD) and Royce Freeman (37 yards on 13 carries, one TD) provided the ground attack while Emmanuel Sanders (six receptions, 102 yards, one TD) and Demaryius Thomas (five catches, 42 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Kansas City just earned a 45-10 win over Cincinnati a week ago. The defense held its ground in the victory, keeping the Bengals to just 187 passing yards and 65 rushing yards. A.J. Green was a bright spot in the loss for Cincinnati, posting 117 yards on seven catches. For Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes completed 28-of-39 passes for 358 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Kareem Hunt (86 yards on 15 rush attempts, one TD) and Spencer Ware (59 yards on eight carries) mounted the running game as Tyreek Hill (seven receptions, 68 yards, one TD) and Travis Kelce (five catches, 95 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
When looking at offensive play-calling, each team sports a similar run-pass ratio on the season. Denver’s run the ball on 40.1 percent of its offensive possessions while Kansas City has a rush percentage of 42.0. The Broncos have run for 125 yards per game (including 164 per game versus West opponents) and have eight touchdowns on the ground this year. The Chiefs are averaging 124 rushing yards per game (124 in conference) and have seven total rush TDs.
The Broncos offense has averaged 268 yards in the air overall (234 per game against conference opposition) and has nine passing TDs so far. The Chiefs have produced 318 pass yards per outing (280.0 in the AFC) and have 22 total pass scores.
Denver should have an edge when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has let opponents run for an average of 148 yards and throw for 251 yards per game. The Kansas City defense has allowed 332.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 118.9 yards per game on the ground. The Broncos are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.72 to opponents, while the Chiefs have allowed a 6.59 ANY/A.
Offensively, Keenum is up to 1,526 passing yards on the year. He’s connected on 136-of-213 attempts with six passing scores and eight interceptions. He’s got a 5.24 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 6.32 over the last two outings.
In the home locker room, Patrick Mahomes has completed 140-of-215 passes for 1,871 yards, 18 TDs and three INTs. Mahomes’ ANY/A stands at 9.26 for the season and 9.48 across his last two games.
RELATED: Week 8 NFL Betting Odds and Predictions
Betting Pick: Broncos vs. Chiefs
SU Winner – Chiefs, ATS Winner – Chiefs, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Notes
The Denver defense has 22 sacks on the year while Kansas City has 19.
Kansas City has lost one fumble this season while the Denver offense has yet to lose any.
The Broncos offense has tallied five pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Chiefs have put up eight such plays.
The Denver defense has allowed five pass plays of 40+ yards, while Kansas City has given up four such plays.
The Denver offense has created six rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Kansas City has created eight such runs.
The Broncos defense has allowed 10 rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Chiefs have given up five such runs.
The Over/Under for Kansas City’s last outing was set at 56. The under cashed in the 45-10 win over Cincinnati.
In its last three games, Kansas City is 3-0 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
Over its last three contests, Denver is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The O/U for Denver’s last game was set at 42. The over cashed in the team’s 45-10 victory over Arizona.
Denver has averaged 4.4 yards per rush attempt over its past three games and 4.0 over its last two.
Kansas City has averaged 5.5 yards per carry over its last three outings and 6.3 over its last two.
*****
