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Carrie Stroup here with your Broncos vs. Chiefs point spread for Sunday’s big AFC West showdown. Place your 1st bet, get your 2nd bet FREE here.
DENVER BRONCOS (8-3) at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-4)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Denver -2.5, Total: 50.5
Opening Line & Total: Denver -2.5, Total 50
The Broncos visit the Chiefs on Sunday night for a matchup with major implications atop the AFC West.
Denver barely beat Miami last week, hanging on for a 39-36 home win, while Kansas City gave Oakland its first win of the season in a humiliating 24-20 defeat. The Broncos have won five straight and seven of the past 10 meetings when facing the Chiefs.
Denver QB Peyton Manning threw for an average of 363 yards per game with six touchdowns and two interceptions in two wins over the Chiefs last season. This Kansas City defense is improved though, allowing a league-low 328 total yards per game.
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Denver is 23-9 ATS in games played on a grass field over the past three seasons, and 11-3 ATS after having won two out of its previous three games over the past two seasons. However, the Broncos are just 17-34 ATS after gaining 6+ yards per play in two straight games since 1992.
The Broncos are coming off of a very close victory over the Dolphins and they are going to need to be much better defensively going forward. One thing they have going for them is that they are allowing just 75.5 rushing yards per game (2nd in NFL) and that kind of rushing defense should help slow down Jamaal Charles. Offensively, this team should have no trouble scoring despite Kansas City’s excellent passing defense.
QB Peyton Manning (3,558 pass yards, 34 TD, 9 INT) threw for 257 yards with four touchdowns and no picks against one of the best passing defenses in the league last week (Miami) and he should be able to do it again on Sunday. Manning looked for WR Demaryius Thomas (82 rec, 1,192 yards, 9 TD) often last week and Thomas certainly delivered with 10 catches for 87 yards and three touchdowns. The 87 yards was Thomas’ lowest total since Week 3 against the Seahawks, as he had gone over 100 receiving yards in seven straight contests, but the three touchdowns more than made up for it.
Another player who really has looked great for the Broncos is RB C.J. Anderson (368 rush yards, 1 TD). Anderson rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries against the Dolphins. He also added four catches for 28 yards. Anderson should be a huge factor in this game, as the Chiefs rushing defense has been very suspect – outside of the red zone – this season.
In the first meeting between these two (a 24-17 Denver win), Kansas City QB Alex Smith (2,211 pass yards, 13 TD, 4 INT) threw for 255 yards and rushed for 42 yards but was unable to find the end zone. He’ll need to take care of the football and could be called upon to throw more if this game ends up turning into a high-scoring affair.
RB Jamaal Charles (772 rush yards, 8 TD) didn’t play in the first meeting and he could prove to be a big difference maker. RB Knile Davis (423 yards, 5 TD) started in that game and rushed for 79 yards with two touchdowns. He also added six catches for 26 yards. Charles is much more explosive than Davis and should be able to find success against this Broncos defense.
This Chiefs defense could ultimately be the reason why they win this game. They are allowing just 198.9 passing yards per game (1st in NFL) and if they can limit Peyton Manning success by pressuring him and making him uncomfortable in the pocket, then the Chiefs should have a good chance of coming away with a big victory.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
