Betting Picks

Week 15: Denver at Indianapolis TNF NFL Betting Preview and Pick

It has been a rather middling Thursday night schedule in the NFL this season and that slate doesn’t exactly end with a bang in Week 15 as the Broncos and Colts square off with nothing at stake other than perhaps pride and improved draft positioning for the loser. As of this writing, some tickets on StubHub are selling for at little as $6 at Lucas Oil Stadium for the game. Denver is a 2.5-point NFL betting favorite.

You simply aren’t going to win in the NFL on a consistent basis without a good quarterback, and the 2017 Broncos and Colts are two clear examples of that. Indianapolis’ season essentially ended in January when superstar QB Andrew Luck had surgery on his throwing shoulder. The Colts kept saying he was going to be ready for training camp and the season, but those were false statements. Now it’s fair to wonder if the former No. 1 overall pick will ever be the same again.

Of course, Luck replaced the legendary Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. The Broncos won the Super Bowl in Manning’s final 2015 season but are going to miss the playoffs for a second straight year because they haven’t found a quarterback to replace the future Hall of Famer. It was a combination of Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch last year, and Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Lynch (for not even one full game) this season. Clearly, none of those three are the long-term answer. Expect team boss John Elway, a pretty good quarterback in his day, to address the position in the draft and/or free agency this offseason. Could Eli Manning perhaps go to Denver? Washington’s Kirk Cousins?

Denver (4-9 SU, 3-9-1 ATS) ended an eight-game losing streak, the franchise’s longest since 1967 when it was in the AFL, with a 23-0 shutout of the visiting New York Jets this past Sunday. The Broncos still have a very good defense and that was on display as the Jets were held to 100 total yards – the second-fewest in franchise history. Siemian had a solid enough day, throwing for 200 yards and a touchdown to Demaryius Thomas, who moved into second in franchise history in TD catches with 56. Rod Smith holds the team record with 68.

Indianapolis (3-10 SU, 6-7 ATS), which has used trade acquisition Jacoby Brissett at quarterback since Week 2, lost a fourth straight game Sunday, 13-7 in overtime in a Buffalo blizzard. That was truly must-see TV. Brissett threw for only 69 yards in the tough conditions. He hit Jack Doyle on a 3-yard TD pass with 1:16 to go. Indy originally went for 2 points and converted, but it was wiped out by a penalty. Kicker Adam Vinatieri, maybe the best ever, barely made the 43-yard extra point. With one second to go in regulation, Vinatieri had a field-goal attempt from the same spot but missed it. That’s unusual for him. The Colts punted on their lone OT possession and the Bills won on a 21-yard LeSean McCoy TD run.

The Colts have won and covered six consecutive home games over the Broncos, but those victories came with either Luck or Manning in an Indianapolis uniform. Denver has covered eight of its past 10 on Thursday and will do so here.