Isiah Pacheco should thrive in this matchup
Week 6 of the NFL regular season is set to kick off, so let’s examine three bets to make for the Thursday night matchup, when the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs host the struggling Denver Broncos.
We’ll start with the total of 47.5 points. All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Over 47.5 total points (-110)
This Broncos rank dead last in the league in total defense. In Week 3, Denver gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in a blowout loss. Although the Dolphins have offensive weapons all over the field, their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is not better than Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. I’m not suggesting that Kansas City will put up 70 points, but I am suggesting the Chiefs offense will have success against the Broncos. Conversely, although Denver is losing games, QB Russell Wilson has looked much better this season with new head coach Sean Payton at the helm. Wilson has 1,210 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. I believe both QBs will have success in this game.
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Russell Wilson to throw an interception (-110)
Although I just gave Wilson some praise for his statistics this season, those stats are a lot like empty calories when you consider the Broncos’ 1-4 record. Wilson has not been able to make the clutch-winning plays when needed during close games for Denver. Last week against the Jets was yet another example of this. The Broncos had a chance late, and although Wilson didn’t throw any interceptions, he had a late fumble that cost them the game. If the Chiefs start to run away with this game, then Wilson will be forced to try and throw Denver back into it. If the Broncos keep it close, Wilson likely will make the back-breaking mistake that ultimately loses the game.
Isiah Pacheco over 75.5 yards -120
One of the many reasons the Chiefs were Super Bowl champs last season is because they can beat you in a multitude of ways. Obviously, Mahomes is the straw that stirs the drink, but on any given night, Pacheco is more than capable of putting the team on his back and carrying them to a win. Last week in a win over Minnesota, Pacheco toted the rock 16 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. He amassed 302 rushing yards, with three touchdowns, while averaging 4.8 yards per carry over the last four games. Now, he’s facing a Broncos defense that just surrendered 177 rushing yards to Jets running back Breece Hall, including a touchdown run for 72 yards. With Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce clearly not being 100% health-wise right now, Kansas City could lean on Pacheco more than usual against Denver.