Colts vs. Broncos Predictions, Picks & Odds: NFL Week 15, Sunday 12/15
Last week was the last week of NFL bye weeks with six in total, and two of which will face one another this Sunday. That will be in Denver with the Broncos hosting the Indianapolis Colts - a battle of former Peyton Manning teams. They’ve each got young QBs now, and we’ve got our best Colts vs. Broncos predictions for you.
That also means a best bet from our Colts vs. Broncos picks, and along with that is a $150 DraftKings Sportsbook welcome promotion as well!
Colts vs. Broncos Predictions For NFL Week 15, Sunday 12/15
The Colts and Broncos have come a long way since their respective Manning eras, and there is still plenty of work to do for Super Bowl success like he brought them. At least we’ve seen plenty of development from Indy’s second-year QB Anthony Richardson and Denver’s rookie QB Bo Nix.
With such young signal callers, it can be difficult trust either side when it comes to Colts vs. Broncos predictions, so we’ll be focusing on a different market when it comes to our best bet. Along with the Colts vs. Broncos odds having Denver as a favorite of just over a field goal, it be a tough pill to swallow targeting that market.
We are predicting a close matchup, however, as two of Indy’s last three games have been decided by just a single point. That said, it likely won’t come with as many fireworks, just as some foreshadowing to the best bet from our Colts vs. Broncos picks!
Indianapolis Colts: Keeping Things Close
Much has been made this season regarding the 12-1 Kansas City Chiefs and 11-2 Minnesota Vikings keeping things close, but if not for the Colts being 6-7, they would likely be in that discussion as well. It’s also not just those past two games that we mentioned.
Indy opened the season with a two-point loss and have now been a part of games decided by six points or fewer in 10 of their 13 games! That includes each of their first eight games, and the outliers were all against elite teams - the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and aforementioned Vikings. That’s all just further support as to why we’re predicting another tight contest.
Denver Broncos: Keeping Their Foot On The Gas
While the Chiefs have already locked up their ninth straight AFC West title, the Broncos not only have no hope lost, but their spirits are as high as ever. With the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers both losing their recent games, Denver’s 8-5 record is now tied with them.
That is significant for the AFC Wild Card race, which the Colts are also trying to work their way into. As we noted right from the top, both these teams are coming off their bye, but it’s the Broncos that have had a three-game winning streak heading into it. So, the question is whether or not that killed their momentum or they simply enjoyed the extra rest.
Colts vs. Broncos Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
To expand on our reference of the Colts vs. Broncos odds earlier and Denver being a home favorite just over a field goal, you can see the latest lines at DraftKings Sportsbook here:
- Point Spread: Indianapolis Colts +3.5 (-110) vs. Denver Broncos -3.5 (-110)
- Money Line: Indianapolis Colts (+150) vs. Denver Broncos (-180)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 44 (-112) vs. Under 44 (-108)
Colts vs. Broncos Best Bet: Under 44 Points (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
With how elite the Denver defense has been this season, which has even gotten plenty of attention as well, we were surprised to see the total listed as high as it is. We aren’t complaining, as we’ll gladly take the value for our Colts vs. Broncos predictions.
It may be in part due to Denver having been a part of a Monday Night Football shootout prior to their bye week, but that was far more an outlier than the norm. Prior to that, they had held opponents to fewer than 20 points in five of six games. It’s also important to note how they were exploited in that MNF game.
We saw Cleveland Browns QB Jameis Winston throw for a whopping 497 yards. Well, Colts QB Anthony Richardson has shown zero signs of doing that. He’s been excellent using his legs, but has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in every game since Week 2 other than one. We also have similar matchup support on the other side of the ball.
Indy’s defensive weakness is against the run, but the Broncos haven’t had a single 100-yard rusher all season! In fact, they’ve had several leading rushers throughout the year, including QB Bo Nix several times with totals in the 20’s and 30’s. In other words, neither of these teams do well against what the other can’t defend.
With that in mind, we’ll happily lock in the best bet from our Colts vs. Broncos predictions on the under 44 points (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook).
Colts vs. Broncos Injury Report & Latest News
It’s been about a month since Colts star center Ryan Kelly went down for the year, making their biggest injury news that of WR Josh Downs, who should be set to suit up this Sunday. As for Denver, they should be as healthy as possible, especially coming off the bye. However, it’s always important to stay up to date with the latest NFL injury report, which Fantasy Alarm has on a weekly basis!
How To Bet On Colts vs. Broncos at DraftKings Sportsbook & Claim Your $150 Bonus
With Colts vs. Broncos predictions being on the minds of many fans in Indiana and Colorado, the current DraftKings sign up bonus is perfect:
- Sign up here for a new DK account
- Make a first-time deposit of $5 or more
- Place a wager of $5 or more on anything
- Receive $150 in bonus bets guaranteed if you’re in:
- AZ, CO, IL, IN, MA, NC, OH, PA and WY
- Receive $150 in bonus bets if it wins if you’re in:
- DC, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, TN, VA and VT
Even if you’re located in the other group of states, you can simply wager on a big favorite if you’d like, even if it’s one far more significant than Denver this Sunday! Whatever you decide to target, get the process underway ahead of kickoff and join DraftKings today!
Player News
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes Aaron Rodgers’ contract with the Steelers is not a “big money deal.”
Speaking on Good Morning Football, Rapoport noted that Rodgers once said he would play this season for $10 million. While the exact terms of Rodgers’ deal are not yet known, Rapoport believes his deal will closely resemble the $10 million figure, with Rodgers having the opportunity to earn more through incentives. Rodgers isn’t coming to the Steelers to cash in on one last payday, but rather compete for what he hopes is another championship. Whether or not that comes with the Steelers is to be determined, but the future Hall of Famer is clearly willing to take a pay cut to find out, and the Steelers are just as desperate to see what he can offer over the likes of Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard.
Steelers agreed to terms with QB Aaron Rodgers one a one-year contract.
The team itself used the “agreed to terms” lingo, stressing the deal was contingent on a physical. Nevertheless, the Steelers know what they are getting into. The 41-year-old will pass his examination and get to work replacing last year’s Justin Fields/Russell Wilson combination. Rodgers appeared in physical free-fall last season, but he still remained more middle of the pack in most advanced metrics. Rodgers did struggle over the middle of the field, though that is not where the Steelers’ primary weapons roam. Rodgers will obviously struggle for top-20 fantasy value himself. The question is if he can keep DK Metcalf in the top 18 at receiver, or perhaps make Pat Freiermuth a more consistent option. We are not holding our breath.
Team reporter John Oehser reports that it is becoming “increasingly apparent that Dyami Brown figures to play a huge role in the offense next season.”
Brown had previously been mentioned in the same breath as incumbent receiver Parker Washington, but here, Oehser lists Brown among “the Jaguars’ top receivers” along with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. Oehser describes all three as being “fast and fluid” while noting “Brown in particular continues to show easy speed. Technically, stretching the field while Thomas and Hunter rack up targets could qualify as playing a “huge role in the offense” for Brown, so June drafters should take a measured approach in responding to Oehser’s commentary. Still, locking up the No. 3 role in what is expected to be a fantasy-friendly aerial attack is noteworthy. Brown should be on late-round radars.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters that WR Troy Franklin is “doing well” at organized team activities.
Franklin has generated “a number of explosive plays” thus far, leading Payton to celebrate Franklin’s ability to “run after the catch.” The report comes from The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, who adds that Franklin “has looked impressive” through two organized team activities and is “playing faster than he was at this time last year.” Franklin must sustain high-quality play over the next three months in order for these comments to matter. Still, the Broncos’ wide receiver depth chart behind Courtland Sutton gets murky quickly.
When asked about LB Malcolm Rodriguez’s expected return from a torn ACL, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said, “probably November.”
Campbell acknowledged that this is a conservative projection, giving Rodriguez at least some chance to return sooner. The Lions’ defense was hit hard by injuries last season, so the front office added a bevy of defenders via both the draft and free agency. Hopefully, Rodriguez returns in full force, in time for a playoff push.
Fox 59’s Mike Chappell reports that Michael Pittman Jr. will probably “be held out of minicamp next week” after bumping knees with a defender on Thursday.
Per Chappell, Pittman “bumped knees” while running a route and is “sore but ok.” It sounds like Pittman is just dealing with a contusion of some sort, and he should be good to go in a week or so. This is great news for a team that could not catch a break earlier on, with Anthony Richardson now dealing with inflammation in his surgically repaired AC joint.