Broncos’ Bold Defensive Gamble: Could This Unexpected Move Be the Game-Changer?

How many football games can one survive in a single week before the thrill turns into a blur? After Thursday’s kickoff frenzy, a Sunday bonanza, a midweek Bears/Eagles cameo, and a Thanksgiving trilogy, here we are again, gearing up for another Sunday Night showdown: Broncos versus Commanders at 8:20 ET. It’s like the NFL’s version of a never-ending buffet, and tonight’s main course promises plenty of spice. The Broncos, quietly defying expectations with a defense as fierce as a cornered beast, have kept themselves on edge in nail-biters and nearly stolen victories from the jaws of defeat. Meanwhile, the Commanders, a team nursing wounds from last season’s high hopes and trying to piece together a puzzle with their wounded QB, face a daunting task against Denver’s ironclad defense. So, can the Broncos keep their streak alive, or will the Commanders muster an unforeseen comeback? One thing’s certain: this isn’t your average game night. Ready to dive deeper? LEARN MORE

Broncos vs. Commanders, 8:20 ET

This has been a long football week. Consider the fact that we have had a ton of games from Thursday to today, and we still get another one tomorrow. The actual days played aren’t that much different. We had Thursday football, Sunday’s big slate, and then Monday Night Football tomorrow. The only major addition was on Friday when they had a Bears/Eagles game, and then, of course, Thanksgiving football, which gave us three good-ish games. Tonight, we tackle Sunday Night Football between the Broncos and Commanders.

The Broncos are starting to actually get me to believe in them. I’m not fully sitting here thinking they will win the championship, or even win a game in the playoffs, but this defense is nasty and has kept them in basically every game. Their losses were questionable ones that they could’ve won against Indianapolis, and another close one against the Chargers. They have snapped off eight straight wins since that two-game losing streak and should be able to run it to at least 10 straight after winning this week and next week against the Raiders. They are coming off a win against Kansas City and then a bye week, so I’m not really concerned about Denver being on an emotional high. They are teetering on a loss, so I somewhat expect them to drop a game to the Packers in week 15, but we are getting way ahead of ourselves. Nine of their games have been within one score. Of those nine games, seven of them have been decided by three or fewer points. 5-2 in those games, and 7-2 overall in the one-score contests.

The Commanders have had a disaster of a season. They made a very strong run to the NFC Championship last year, knocking off some good competition. They were expecting to capitalize on quarterback Jayden Daniels strong rookie campaign, but he has been injured much of this year. He is questionable for this game, and was limited at practice on Thursday. I don’t really expect him to play as there isn’t much of a point of winning games at the moment. Why rush back your franchise guy if you have no shot to make the playoffs anyway? Marcus Mariota is one of the more capable backup quarterbacks, but you’re really relying on him to get you a win with his legs, not his arm. The Commanders are more healthy than they have been, and if Daniels plays, they will be about as healthy as they will get. However, it really doesn’t matter, the Denver defense is too good.

Am I expecting this game to be a blowout? I guess, but I really don’t get into the habit of trying to bet on a road favorite of -6 or more. There is always going to be pride among teams and you never know what can happen. I would expect that the Broncos play well in the game, but Bo Nix is not a guy I really like backing either. What I will back is the Commanders’ team total under 19.5 for the game. The Broncos have kept opponents under this total seven times this season, and we’ve hit this bet a few times already. Let’s get it again on Sunday Night Football.

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