The Los Angeles Chargers are hosting their division rival, the Denver Broncos, on Thursday Night Football. Denver is coming off a dominating win last week against the Indianapolis Colts 31-13. The Chargers are looking to bounce back from last week’s steamrolling by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40-17. This game will have high implications regarding postseason seeding in the AFC. Can the Broncos extend their winning streak to five in a row or will the Chargers snap their two-game losing streak? Let’s dive straight into this game and cook up a winner!
Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| Denver Broncos | +3 (-104) | Over 42.5 (-105) | +138 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | -3 (-118) | Under 42.5 (-118 | -164 |
| **Odds Subject to Change** | |||
Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers Match Details
- Fixture: Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers
- Date and Time: December 19th, 2024 @ 8:15 PM EST
Key Stats
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are coming off an excellent game last week against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite the shaky start, Rookie QB Bo Nix was great when Denver needed him to be. Nix completed 20 of 33 passes for 130 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
Courtland Sutton was their leading receiver with 32 receiving yards, including a 20-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter. Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver’s starting running back, tallied 7 carries for 21 yards. This wasn’t the best offensive performance, but they did enough to win and advance to 9-5 on the season.
This Denver defense has been one of the best all season long. They are ranked 1st in points allowed per game, 15th in passing yards allowed per game, 5th in rushing yards allowed per game, 1st in offensive touchdowns allowed, 1st in sacks, and 6th in takeaways per game. This defense forced 5 turnovers, including a 50-yard fumble return.
Linebacker Nik Bonitto was the defender who scored the defensive touchdown. Bonitto leads the team with 11.5 sacks, tied for 3rd in the NFL. If Denver’s defense can keep playing how they have for the first 15 weeks, they could be a dangerous team come playoff time.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a dreadful loss last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40-17. Justin Herbert was subpar in this game. Herbert completed 21 of 33 passes for 195 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception.
That interception was the second pick he has thrown all season long. Ladd McConkey returned after missing last week’s game by catching 5 passes for 58 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown. The Chargers’ offense only ran the ball 11 times for 32 yards and were 0/6 on third down. If LA plays that bad offensively this week, they will lose to the Broncos on Thursday.
LA’s defense has been one of the better defenses this season. For the season, they are tied with the Broncos for 1st in points allowed per game, 9th in passing yards allowed per game, 19th in rushing yards allowed per game, 2nd in offensive touchdowns allowed, 7th in sacks, and 11th in takeaways per game. Tuli Tuipulotu leads the Chargers with 7.5 sacks.
If any team is due for a bounceback defensively, it’s this team. They gave up a season-high 506 offensive yards and 40 points. If they can bounce back this week, they will jump Denver for the 6th seed in the AFC Playoff standings.
Prediction
The Denver Broncos are going to cover the 3-point spread in this game against the Los Angeles Chargers. This game should be a low-scoring divisional game. Despite both defenses being good for the season, I am taking a defense that has been the key to their team’s success over the past month. JK Dobbins has been out and it has shown for the Chargers.
Before his injury, they looked like one of the best running teams in the NFL. Now they are struggling to move the ball against bad secondaries. Bo Nix continues his great rookie campaign as the Broncos move to 10-5 on the season and extend their winning streak to five in a row!
