NFL Week 5 → Colts vs Broncos Thursday Night Game Betting Odds & Predictions

The Indianapolis Colts will be missing two key players when they head to Denver for this week’s installment of midweek football. Linebacker Shaquille Leonard is in the concussion protocol and will be out, and tailback Jonathan Taylor, last year’s league-leading rusher, is out with an ankle sprain. This will be just the second game that Taylor has missed in his NFL career; the only other game he missed came when he went on the COVID-19 list in 2020. The Colts’ attack will have to get down the field another way, and with the struggles that quarterback Matt Ryan has had this season, things do look grim. However, the Broncos also have some key injuries, as their own top tailback, Javonte Williams, is done for the year after a knee injury, and defensive lineman Randy Gregory has also gone on injured reserve. Which team will prevail on Thursday? The line has already moved one point toward the Broncos, so we’ll see if all this shifting pulls the game out of balance for NFL betting enthusiasts.

NFL Preview: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
(Thursday, October 6)

 

When: Thursday, October 6, 2022, 8:15 pm ET
Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver
TV: Prime Video
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Prime Video
NFL Odds: Denver -3.5 / O/U 42 // Indianapolis +150 / Denver -178

Why should you bet on the Colts?

The Indianapolis Colts fell at home to Tennessee, last week, 24-17, to go to 1-2-1, with their only win, ironically, coming over the 3-1 Kansas City Chiefs. Ryan has thrown for 1,125 yards through four games but already has thrown five interceptions. Jonathan Taylor has 328 yards, but the team will have to look elsewhere for its rushing this week. The top Indy receiver has been Michael Pittman Jr, with 20 catches for 224 yards, but Ryan has been spreading the ball around, as there are five other Colts with 100 or more receiving yards. Kwity Paye has been impressive on defense, with three sacks so far, and Zaire Franklin leads the team with 45 total tackles.

On the road, the Colts have covered in 11 of their last 16 games. However, things have dimmed lately, as they have covered just once in their last six games overall. Offense has stagnated in Indianapolis as well, as the “under” has paid off in nine of their games in a row. I expect this to be a battle of defenses, with both teams missing key contributors in their offensive game plans, and these midweek games tend to be a bit of a grind anyway. If you like the Colts, you see their backup running back keeping them moving.

Why should you put your money on the Broncos?

Denver fell to 2-2 last week as the Las Vegas Raiders picked up their first win of the season, prevailing 32-23 at home. Russell Wilson finally started to get the downfield passing game going, but it wasn’t enough as the Raiders were able to slice and dice the Denver defense. Expect Melvin Gordon III to get the majority of the carries. In the receiving game, Cortland Sutton is the top producer with 24 catches for 343 yards, and Jerry Jeudy had a score against the Raiders and has 183 yards of his own. Bradley Chubb leads the Broncos with sacks (3), and Josey Jewell is the top tackler (23 total). Denver has only covered in two of their last eight games overall, and the under has paid in six of their last eight games at home.

Final Score and Prediction

I’m more confident in the “under” than I am in either team covering this spread. Both are dealing with significant injuries to the skill segment of their offenses, and the Colts are traveling on a short week. Obviously, Wilson is the better of the two quarterbacks right now, and both defenses seem about even. With that quarterback edge, I see Denver winning in a 16-10 snoozer.

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