Empower Field at Mile High will be the center of the NFL world on Thursday Night Football. The Indianapolis Colts will visit Denver to take on the Broncos in a matchup between two-loss AFC teams that just lost their starting running backs. The Colts are 1-2-1 after a loss to the division rival Tennessee Titans in Week 4 and will be without Jonathan Taylor (ankle). The Broncos are 2-2 overall and 2-0 at home this season and will be without Javonte Williams (knee).
Kickoff is at 8:15 pm ET in Denver. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Broncos as 3-point local favorites in the latest Colts vs. Broncos, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas believes will be scored, is 42. Before making any Broncos vs. Colts and NFL Predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s resident Colts expert RJ White has to say.
White, a fantasy and betting games editor for CBS Sports, consistently smashes as SportsLine’s #1 NFL expert on picks against the spread, going 445-378-24 in his 2017-21 ATS picks, which they returned $2,542 to $100 players. He also went an impressive 36-24-2 on his NFL picks involving the Colts, meaning he’s well-qualified for this pick.
White is well known for cashing in big at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest twice since 2015. White also cashed in big on his NFL future in 2021, including Jonathan Taylor as the NFL’s leading rusher at 10-1. Anyone who has followed him is way up there.
Now, White has set his sights on Colts vs. Broncos and just posted their NFL Week 5 picks and predictions. He can head over to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are various odds and NFL betting lines for Colts vs. Broncos:
- SpreadColtsvs. Broncos: Broncos -3
- Colts vs. Broncos plus/minus: 42 points
- Colts money line vs. Broncos: Broncos -178, Colts +150
- IND: Colts are 11-10 against the spread in their last 21 games
- DEN: Broncos are 9-12 against the spread in their last 21 games
- Colts picks vs. Broncos: See the selections here
featured game | Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts
Why the Colts can cover
The Colts are in the top 10 with 252 passing yards per game and are above the league average in first and third down conversion rate. Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan is No. 4 in the league with 1,125 passing yards this season and No. 7 with 102 completions. Ryan has over 60,000 career passing yards and 372 passing touchdowns and has topped 3,900 passing yards in 11 straight seasons.
Even with the uncertainty of injuries as a running back, the Colts can lean on wide receiver Michael Pittman, who caught 82 passes for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. Pittman has 224 yards in just three games this season and puts pressure on the opposition. . Denver has a solid defense, but the Broncos produced 32 points and 212 rushing yards in a Week 4 loss, and Indianapolis is also pretty potent defensively. The Colts are in the top 10 in total defense, passing defense, rushing defense and yards allowed per carry, with above-average marks in scoring defense and third-down defense. See who to back here.
Why the Broncos can cover
Indianapolis has scored the fewest points (57) in the NFL this season, and the Colts haven’t gone over 20 points in any game in 2022. The 57-point mark is the franchise’s lowest through the first four games since 1998, and the Colts are scoring in just 25% of series. Indianapolis is putting up just 1.30 points per series and the Colts are ranked second worst in EPA per game.
Part of the problem for the Colts is ball security, with Indianapolis committing nine turnovers and throwing five interceptions in four games. The Colts are minus-29 in points from turnovers, the worst gap in the NFL, and are struggling along the offensive line. The Colts are No. 27 with 351 rushing yards, with only one rushing touchdown and 3.5 yards per carry. Indianapolis has been brutal in the red zone, scoring just six touchdowns in 13 trips, while Denver leads the league in red zone defensive efficiency. See who to back here.
How to make Colts vs. broncos
White has analyzed this pairing and while we can say that he is leaning under the point total, he has also discovered a critical X factor that makes him jump back and forth across the gap. He’s just sharing what he is, and which side backwards, on SportsLine.
Who wins Broncos vs. Colts on Thursday Night Football? And what critical X factor makes one side of the spread mandatory? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Broncos vs. Colts stretches back, all from the expert who is 36-24 on Colts picks, and find out.