Broncos vs. Chargers Predictions, Picks & Odds: Thursday Night Football, 12/19
With the Denver Broncos’ win on Sunday and the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss, the Week 16 Thursday Night Football between the two is as pivotal as ever. It was already going to be with these AFC West rivals both chasing a Wild Card spot, and we’re here to make it even more exciting with our Broncos vs. Chargers predictions.
That also means a best bet from our Broncos vs. Chargers picks, which we’ll make as valuable as possible for you with the current FanDuel Sportsbook welcome bonus for a chance at multiple rewards worth over $150!
Broncos vs. Chargers Predictions For Thursday Night Football, NFL Week 16
If we were to have ended these teams’ games last Sunday at the half, we may have had these teams flip-flopped in the AFC West standings. Despite a poor first half from the Broncos, they battled back, while a strong first half from the Chargers fizzled out after the break.
Even with that being the case, the latest Broncos vs. Chargers odds have LA as the clear favorite. They are at home, but with how little of an advantage that has proven to be at SoFi Stadium, that factor should be quite neutral, especially with Denver not being the longest trip for fans.
Of course, we also can’t gloss over the fact that we saw these division rivals meet in Week 6, which was a touchdown victory for the Chargers.
Denver Broncos: Battling Back
As noted, the Broncos had to battle back from a rather subpar first half the other day, which came against a sub-.500 Indianapolis Colts team. They even entered the halftime locker room down 13-7 in front of the home crowd, but they not only erased that lead but ended the game with an 18-point victory!
Although they now have a one-game advantage over the Chargers in the AFC West, looking ahead, they have two very tough opponents in the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs following this Thursday Night Football matchup. So, a win here appears even more crucial than it already is.
Los Angeles Chargers: Bad Game Or A Bad Sign?
Following several offensive losses this offseason, the Chargers had proven that they can absolutely win games with defense. New head coach Jim Harbaugh has also helped instill that mentality, but they had the rare case of allowing a significant number of points this past Sunday.
It was even more surprising given the home matchup, but again, LA has proven to be insignificant in that regard. The issue that the Chargers defense found itself in was that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to get things going on the ground, keeping LA on their heels. So, that means they need to make the Broncos one-dimensional to get back to their elite status.
Broncos vs. Chargers Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
We noted that the latest Broncos vs. Chargers odds have LA as home favorites, and you can see the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook below:
- Point Spread: Denver Broncos +3 (-118) vs. Los Angeles Chargers -3 (-104)
- Money Line: Denver Broncos (+126) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (-148)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 42.5 (-108) vs. Under 42.5 (-112)
Broncos vs. Chargers Best Bet: Under 42.5 Points (-112 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
When these teams met in the first half of the season, we saw the Chargers cover the spread and the game go over the total. If you were to force our hand in terms of a side, we’d back LA, but as far as the best bet from our Broncos vs. Chargers predictions goes, we’re going the opposite way on the total of the Week 6 matchup.
It certainly isn’t without reason. First and foremost, that total was set at just 37 points, making this a near-touchdown increase. The Chargers may have faltered this past Sunday, but this is simply an over-adjustment in our eyes.
There are three teams tied for the best scoring defense in the NFL this season by allowing just 17.6 points per game. They would be the Philadelphia Eagles and, you guessed it - the Broncos and Chargers. That’s right, BOTH teams in this matchup roster what could be considered the best defense in the NFL.
As previously mentioned, LA struggled this past weekend by allowing Bucs RB Bucky Irving to rush for 117 yards on just 15 carries, and that’s without mentioning QB Baker Mayfield’s timely scrambles. Well, Denver is nearing the bottom 10 in the NFL in terms of rushing yards per game.
In other words, they don’t have the same type of balanced attack needed to expose LA’s defense. Even if they did, the Chargers have proven through 15 weeks that the recent result was the outlier, not the norm. That is also demonstrated by the fact that the Chargers have the second-best record for unders this season.
Taking all that into account, the best bet from our Broncos vs. Chargers predictions is on the under 42.5 points (-112 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
Broncos vs. Chargers Injury Report & Latest News
Heading into last weekend’s games, Chargers QB Justin Herbert was among the biggest injury news stories. Of course, we saw him take the field, and his top target - WR Ladd McConkey - was able to as well. Overall, we should see two rather healthy teams on TNF, but as always, monitoring the NFL injury report right here at Fantasy Alarm is a must!
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Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.