Broncos vs. Chargers Picks, Predictions NFL Week 6: Will It Be Gordon's Revenge Show in L.A.?
The Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos battle in a key AFC West battle on Monday Night Football. Read on for our Broncos-Chargers picks.
The home team has won the last five meetings between these teams, and three of the previous five have been decided by three points or less. Denver is looking for its first road win (0-2), while Los Angeles is looking for its third consecutive win to improve to 4-2.
Here are our Broncos-Chargers NFL picks for Week 6 (odds via Caesars Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Broncos vs. Chargers Game Info
Date: Monday, Oct.16, 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Weather: 79 degrees, 6% chance of precipitation, 6 mph SW wind
Broncos vs. Chargers Odds
Broncos vs. Chargers Odds Analysis
Los Angeles is a -4.5-point favorite across all major sportsbooks, though that number is down from an opening line of -6.5. The line move reflects how the game has been bet, as the Chargers have received 78% of the tickets but 51% of the cash.
FanDuel is the only sportsbook offering a total of 43.5, while all others are at 43. The largest wagers have backed the Under, with 26% of the bets and 53% of the handle.
Broncos vs. Chargers Picks
Check out our same-game parlay, Monday Night Football props, and Russell Wilson vs. Justin Herbert predictions. DraftKings is also offering a promo on tonight's game.
Broncos vs. Chargers ATS Pick
Broncos +4.5 (-110) ★★
The difference between siding with the Broncos over the Chargers came down to the health of Keenan Allen. But with Los Angeles’ best wide receiver likely missing his fifth straight game, we do not believe the Chargers have enough offense to compete.
Allen’s ability to consistently find space in intermediate routes opens things up for Austin Ekeler underneath and Mike Williams downfield. However, without Allen patrolling the middle of the field, Los Angeles has had to rely more on the running game. Los Angeles rushed for 238 yards in Week 5, its most since 2018. In addition, Ekeler rushed for a career-high 173 yards against the Browns, the most by a Charger since Melvin Gordon in 2016. He now needs one rushing touchdown to become the eighth player with 25 rushing touchdowns and 25 receiving touchdowns. However, the Chargers’ rushing performance as a whole is more of a testament to the Browns’ poor rush defense, as Los Angeles has beaten Cleveland in back-to-back years despite allowing 30+ points and 200+ rushing yards in both games.
The Chargers entered Week 5 with an NFL-low 64.5 rushing yards per game, and we expect a Broncos defense that enters this week ranked in the top half of the league in run defense to hold Los Angeles to numbers similar to what it had through the first four games on the ground.
Broncos vs. Chargers O/U Pick
Under 45.5 (-110) ★★★
If not for a defense that ranks fourth with 16.0 points per game allowed, the Broncos would not even be sitting at 2-3 this week. The Russell Wilson experiment has failed mightily, as he is on pace for the lowest passer rating (82.8) of his career.
Los Angeles has excelled in pass protection this year, allowing one or fewer sacks in four of the first five games. However, Denver’s defensive front is a lot more disruptive than what the Chargers have faced to this point, and we look for this to be the game that Los Angeles starts to miss the presence of left tackle Rashawn Slater.
Broncos vs. Chargers Prop Pick
Gordon to score a touchdown (+150) ★★★
We are big believers in revenge games, and we look for Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett to do whatever he can to find a way to get Gordon in the endzone against his former team. The Chargers have allowed the most fantasy points per game to running backs this season, including eight combined touchdowns to the position (tied for the most in the league). Los Angeles is coming off a game where it allowed 213 yards on 31 carries, an average of 6.9 yards per rush. Thus, we like Gordon to dominate the backfield touches on Monday night and for that to pay off with a trip to the endzone.
Where to Bet on Broncos vs. Chargers Picks
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
Broncos-Chargers picks made 10/16/2022 at 6:48 a.m. ET
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