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Kansas City’s flawless winning streak will be challenged by the Denver Broncos when they pay a visit to Mile High Stadium this Monday night. The AFC West rivals have arrived at a sensible point of their early season run: the Chiefs carry a superb 3-0 record with two victories on the road and one at home, supported by QB Patrick Mahomes’ fantastic passing game, while the Broncos (2-1) have found difficulty getting points on the scoreboard.
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Even though Denver will serve as host this time around, this hasn’t provided the sufficient stimulus to raise the Broncos from the underdog post. Expert odds site YOUWAGER.eu currently features the Chiefs as favorite with a -3½ point spread; the total stands at 54 ½ over/under. The question in everyone’s mind right about now is: Will Case Keenum and team have what it takes to ruin Mahomes’ impeccable track record?
Burden of Proof
Chief’s head coach Andy Read has done well by Mahomes’ side; the former Texas Tech player has created shockwaves with his 10-touchdown passing record during his first 3 games of the 2018 season. The rate at which he’s converted his passing options into successful point-making plays is without comparison, averaging 66% success in his attempts plus an impressive 0 interceptions. ; he’s also received help by wide receivers Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, who’ve put all their effort into turning Mahomes’ clear throws into veritable touch downs.
All and all, Kansas City’s defense has been somewhat lacking in recent times, allowing a heavy 30 points and 475 yards in average per game; while they continue to rely on their air game to secure victories, their ground game has been otherwise neglected, costing them effectiveness in short passes. At the other hand, the Broncos are hopeful that they may be able to obtain their third home win to keep up with their divisional competitors, but their past match history with Kansas City leaves much to be desired. They’ve lost every time during their latest encounters in 2017 and in the previous year.
Real Chances
Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas have provided Keenum with much-needed support, bringing in 2 touchdowns of their own plus a combined 341 yards per game, however, Denver’s QB will have to step up his game in order to bring the mighty Chiefs down. It took some desperate and last minute measures to secure gains against the Raiders, Seahawks and Baltimore. Now, the Broncos will face the most difficult challenge of their season so far, in the form of the stellar Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs appear as a pretty strong bet for Monday night’s clash, with a reliable 7-1 ATS during their last 8 games, and in a similar fashion, they’ve managed a 12-4 ATS record in their last 16 games while on the road. Denver cannot claim to have the same numeric advantage over its adversary, with a 0-5 against the spread count for their last encounters with AFC West rivals.
What can Denver do?
The option list available to the Broncos is more than just limited; they’ve consistently failed to score sufficient points on each game. Nevertheless, if Vance Joseph can somehow make use of his team’s excellent running game to create opportunities for the receivers, they might still stand a chance versus the Chiefs. Additionally, Kansas City may already be experiencing from some on-the-road exhaustion, thus creating another useful opening for Denver to bring in the havoc.
My prediction: I’m thinking the time has come for another upset; the Broncos could try making use of their reputable defensive line for once and put a block to Kansas City’s seemingly unstoppable rise. Want to be bold? Take Denver on the plus points.
