NFL Odds: Patriots Favored To Beat Broncos On Road In Week 15 Matchup
The New England Patriots can clinch their eighth straight AFC East title Sunday afternoon when they visit the Denver Broncos as three-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
New England is coming off a 30-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens as six-point home favorites Monday, lifting its record to 11-2 and giving it a three-game lead over the Miami Dolphins in the division ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Patriots vs. Broncos betting matchup at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
The Patriots have been hit by injuries to key personnel, including tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Danny Amendola, but that has not slowed down the club’s offense, which has averaged 27 points per game during a four-game straight-up win streak.
The road has been kind to the Patriots, who are unbeaten SU in six games away from Gillette Stadium this season, 5-1 against the spread, holding opponents to 17 or fewer points on four occasions.
Memories linger of New England’s late-season road struggles a year ago, when the Patriots closed out the regular season with losses to the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins before falling 20-18 to the Broncos as three-point favorites in the AFC Championship Game.
However, the Patriots have traditionally been strong on the road in December, going 19-3 SU over their past 22 games in the month, and covering the spread in three of their last five.
New England’s continued strong play also has paid dividends at the sportsbooks, where it is pegged as betting chalk in its sixth straight road contest and continues to lead the way on the Super Bowl 51 odds as a +225 favorite.
Conversely, the Broncos enter Week 15 in dire need of a win to preserve their fading playoff hopes. The defending Super Bowl champions have turned in some rocky performances since opening the campaign with four straight wins.
The Broncos are just 4-5 SU and ATS in their past nine games after dropping a 13-10 decision to the Tennessee Titans last week as two-point underdogs, and now find themselves a full two games back of both Kansas City and Oakland in the AFC West ahead of dates with the Chiefs and the Raiders in the final two weeks of the season.
With its back to the wall, Denver has seen its Super Bowl odds plummet in the past week, from +2500 to a distant +5000. However, the Broncos have had New England’s number in recent clashes at Mile High, winning three straight, both SU and ATS, and limiting the Patriots to fewer than 20 points per game in those victories.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images
