AFC West opponents Kansas City Chiefs (9-3) and Denver Broncos (3-9) will clash on Sunday for an interesting matchup between two seemingly opposite trending teams.
When Kansas City goes to Denver for an AFC West game, it will attempt to recover from its third loss of the season.
Prior to their loss to Cincinnati last week by a score of 27-24, the Chiefs had won five straight games.
Denver enters this game with a four-game losing run and is effectively out of the playoff picture with a loss to the Chiefs. Continue reading for our Chiefs vs Broncos Betting picks!
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos Game
Matchup Info
- Game Day: Sunday, December 11, 2022
- Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
- TV Channel: CBS
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Stadium: Empower Field at Mile High
Kansas City Chiefs Performance Recap and Analysis
The Chiefs suffered a difficult setback to the Cincinnati Bengals during the past weekend, dropping them out of the first overall spot in the AFC playoff bracket.
Despite this, they still hold an impressive three-game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West division and have dominated their NFL schedule up to this point.
The Chiefs are the only team this season that had lived up to expectations, despite the AFC West being one of the strongest hyped divisions before the season began.
NFL Player Stats
Through 13 weeks, Patrick Mahomes has the most passing yards and touchdowns in the whole league according to NFL player stats, and the offense hasn’t slowed down despite Tyreek Hill’s departure averaging a league-high 29.2 points per game according to NFL team stats.
Although the Chiefs boast a strong offense, the defense has been a liability for Kansas City this season.
The Chiefs conceded 27 points to the Bengals last week and registered just one sack on a poor Bengals defensive line.
The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 on Sunday, and the Chiefs’ D/ST registered one sack. Despite surrendering 22.5 points per game, the Chiefs will have a favorable matchup against the worst offense in the league.
Key Injuries
According to the NFL injury report, the Chiefs will enter this matchup pretty healthy. However, LB Nick Bolton, WR Kadarius Toney, and S Deon Bush were listed as limited participants.
Betting Trends to Know
In 12 games against the spread, the Kansas City Chiefs odds have successfully been covered in terms of the spread four times (33%). When playing as at least 9.5-point favorites, the Chiefs have an ATS record of 1-1-1.
Additionally, the Chiefs have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight contests.
In terms of the total, seven of their 12 games this year have gone under the total, with the under-hitting in four of their last five matchups.
Denver Broncos Performance Recap and Analysis
Last week’s 10-9 loss to Baltimore continued Denver’s dreadful season as the Ravens put together a late scoring drive without their star quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field.
The Denver Broncos standings fell to 3-9, and they are grasping for straws when it comes to the NFL playoffs.
After acquiring Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, the Broncos had Super Bowl expectations going into the year.
However, that experiment has gone horribly wrong, and the Broncos have dropped eight of their last nine games since starting the season 2-1.
When you take into account everything, Denver has one thing going for them, and that is their strong defense.
They enter this game allowing just the third-fewest passing yards per game, which is a fantastic testimonial to their defensive ability.
They’ll make Mahomes and company’s lives more difficult this week. In terms of NFL team stats, the Broncos are conceding just 17 points per game. Keep this in mind when making Chiefs vs Broncos Betting picks.
Broncos’ Offense
Offensively, the significant offseason investment in Russell Wilson and the new coaching staff has failed. According to their NFL team stats, the Broncos have the worst scoring average in the league, with just 13.8 points scored per game.
Through 11 games this year, Wilson has only tallied eight passing touchdowns, and although the offense has faced injuries, Wilson simply needs to perform better, given the offensive’s significant long-term investment in him. As of right now, their playoff chances are slim to none.
Key Injuries
According to the NFL injury report, the Broncos will be without some significant players this week, WR Courtland Sutton and DT D.J. Jones, in addition to already being without CB Ronald Darby, OL Garret Bolles, and RB Jamal Williams.
Betting Trends to Know
According to NFL odds, the Denver Broncos have been a pitiful 4-8 ATS this season.
Although they covered the spread in their last matchup, the Broncos have failed to cover in three of their past four games. In terms of the total, the Broncos have been the best under-team in the league, going under the total in 11 of their 12 games.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos Odds
The Kansas City Chiefs enter this matchup as 9.5-point spread favorites (-110) according to NFL odds.
The Chiefs will also be heavy -450 road favorites on the moneyline, while the Denver Broncos will be the +330 home underdogs. When it comes to the total, the Over/Under has been set at 43 points (-110).
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos Betting Picks
- Moneyline
NFL matchups continue to fail to go the Broncos way. Despite laying the hefty number, throw in the Kansas City Chiefs as a lock in one of your parlays.
The Chiefs are 2-0 after a loss, and Kansas City scores the most points in the league. The Broncos hold the title of the NFL’s worst offense, and it will not get magically better overnight.
NFL Pick: Chiefs (-450)
- Point Total
In terms of NFL team stats, the Broncos have one of the best defenses and one of the worst offenses statistically.
Denver is at least competent on the defensive side of the ball and should keep the Chiefs out of the 30-point range.
The Chiefs’ defense is nothing to brag about. However, the ineptitude of Nathaniel Hackett’s offense will lock in their 12th under in their 13 games.
NFL Pick: Under 43 (-110)
- Spread
When it comes to the spread in this matchup, I like the Denver Broncos to cover it despite their offensive woes.
Although the Chiefs are just 4-8 ATS, the Chiefs have been worse as of late, failing to cover the number in seven of their last eight contests.
The Broncos don’t have the necessary firepower, but they should be able to keep things close with their strong defense. Andy Reid and the Chiefs do just enough to get the victory.
NFL Pick: Broncos +9.5 (-110)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos Score Prediction
Although I don’t blame anyone for wanting to bet against Denver right now, I don’t think it makes sense to back the Chiefs at this inflated price.
Kansas City has only covered the spread once in their last eight contests. They certainly have the offensive firepower to cover the number, but 9.5 points is too significant.
The Broncos’ one strength is that their defense keeps their offense in the game. All but one of their nine losses this year have been by nine points or less.
At some point, the Denver Broncos offense will come to life, but their defense will keep them in the game, especially at home. Our Chiefs vs Broncos Betting picks have us rolling with the Chiefs this week.
Score Prediction: Chiefs 23, Broncos 14
NFL Pick: Broncos +9.5 (-110)
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