Can the Denver Broncos Win the AFC West? The Odds Say They Can.
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It's amazing how fast things can change in the NFL.
After a 1-5 start to the season, the Denver Broncos season looked like another lost season with questions about new coach Sean Peyton and their veteran quarterback Russell Wilson.
Fast forward to December on the NFL calendar and the Broncos are alive and well in the AFC West race with a little over a month to go.
After a five-game winning streak, the Broncos enter the month of December, sitting at 6-5, two games behind the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs with a win over Kansas City under their belts.
But is there anyone around who thinks the Broncos have a chance to win the AFC West?
Broncos fans are about to find out if Denver is a pretender or contender, starting this week, with the first of three straight games away from the high altitude of Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver is currently in the ninth position in the AFC playoff race, but has a favorable schedule down the stretch that can help them put the heat on both Wild Card contenders in the AFC and the Chiefs in the AFC West race.
Currently, at ESPN Bet in New Jersey, the Broncos are still a long shot to capture the AFC West with odds of +3000, while the division-leading Chiefs sit at –10000. To put some perspective on it, the rest of the division, which includes the LA Chargers (+7500) and the Raiders (+20000) are massive longshots, sitting just two games behind Denver.
Kansas City and Denver have split their two games this season, but the Broncos still have two games with the Chargers and one left with Vegas. If they can capture those AFC West matchups, they should be able to finish in at least the second spot in the division, which would give you some interesting odds at ESPN Bet for Division Specials. Currently at ESPN Bet, in the AFC West Exact Finishing order the odds by Colorado’s sportsbook apps for it to be KC, Denver, Vegas and LA, in that order are +115. You can get KC, Denver, LA and Vegas in that order at +300, which is pretty good value.
But what if the Broncos make the playoffs, what are the odds they can win the Super Bowl, what do the current odds say?
Right now, ESPN Bet in New Jersey, Denver has odds of +10000, which is tremendous value if you like the way the Broncos have played recently.
If you think the Broncos are going to continue to pile up wins and make the playoffs, the AFC is wide-open and +10000 is outstanding value. The more they win, the shorter those odds will be, so if you like Denver, now is the time to jump on them.
Here is the deal. I don’t see the Broncos catching Kansas City for the AFC West, but I do like their value more than the Chiefs' big picture. Denver is playing much better football than they were and seem to have figured out San Peyton’s system and Russell Wilson has been a much more efficient QB this season.
One other bet to consider, if the Broncos do end up winning the division, Peyton (+1400) might be an interesting choice for Coach of the Year. How about Wilson for the league MVP? He is currently +10000, but if Denver makes a charge to the playoffs, it would likely be because of his play, and with no clear favorite this season, his 2,199 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just four interceptions are pretty strong.
I like Denver at +135 to make the playoffs and if you are going to a long-shot bet with good value, throw a few bucks on Denver to win the AFC at +5000. I also like their regular season over 9.5 odds at +125.
In closing, there are some good value plays and good opportunities to make money on the Broncos this season.
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