Denver at NY Jets
Time: NOON CT
Spread: EVEN
Total: 42.5
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Denver Broncos have dropped back-to-back games since beginning its season 2-0, and it will try to get back on track this week on the road as it travels to New York to face the Jets at Noon on CBS. The odds are set EVEN for this affair, with an over/under at 42.5 points according to NFL oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.
DEN
Denver fell just shy last week as rookie Pat Mahomes put the Kansas City Chiefs on his back to will it to a late 27-23 victory over the Broncos. Despite a strong game from Case Keenam, his 245 passing yards were blackened by his lack of Touchdowns and his interception.
Keenam was also sacked four times for a total loss of 19 yards. The Denver backfield looked good, but it carried the ball just 22 times. Philip Lindsay had 69 yards on 12 carries with a TD and Royce Freeman had 67 yards on eight attempts with another touchdown. Denver boasted five receivers with 20-yards or more, paced by Jeff Heuerman’s 57 yards on four catches.
The issue was that Mahomes was sensational again, and there was also no answer for Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs out-scored Denver 14-3 in the final quarter, erasing an otherwise strong effort from the Denver defense.
The Broncos mostly have been struggling with Keenam, though, to be fair. He has thrown 61 percent for completion but thrown twice as many interceptions (6) as touchdowns (3). In addition to that, the team has had success rushing the ball but hardly has gone to the ground enough. Lindsay and Freeman both average better than five-yards-per-carry, but neither has 50 rush attempts through four games. Freeman has three of the team’s six rushing TDs, but Keenam has only attempted three from the QB position for 16 yards and a TD. Denver seemingly needs to put the ball on the ground more, but it also seems quite eager to see if Keenam can carry a pass-offense. The result, for the time being, is a .500 record and the lack of respect to be EVEN odds with the Jets. Can the Broncos prove oddsmakers wrong? Will it go to its rush offense more in light of Keenam’s struggles?
NY
The Jets actually boast a top-15 defense in giving up just 22.3 points per game. The problem for New York has been that it scores exactly the same, 22.3, due to the fact it has a pass offense ranking in the bottom-third, and its rush offense is no better. New York musters just 88 rushing yards per game and barely tops 200 yards per game passing. It is doing this with a rookie quarterback of its own, Sam Darnold.
He has thrown just 57.5 percent for completion and averages only 6.8 yards-per-attempt. Additionally, he has five interceptions and has been sacked 10 times on the season already. His TD percentage is 3.2, which is solid, but not with a 3.9 percent interception ratio.
None of the backfield performers have had overwhelming success either. Isaiah Crowell has four TDs on the season but averages just 4.1 yards-per-carry, which is actually No. 2 on the team behind Bilal Powell’s 4.2 yards-per-carry on 39 attempts. Even so, the Jets manage just 3.6 yards-per as a team. Quincy Enunwa has proven to be its top receiver with 278 yards on the season and a touchdown, and three other Jets have topped 100-yards on the year receiving. Enunwa really carries the unit though, with 16 first downs and 149 yards after the catch.
Perhaps Darnold manages to make wiser throws, while the Jets get more out of Crowell and Powell rushing the ball, but for a game with EVEN odds one must feel a bit of confidence in the fact that the Broncos, while struggling, are clearly the better football team in this affair.
