Week 16 kicks off with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC West rivalry on “Thursday Night Football.” Come chat with us in our open thread.
Week 16 begins with an AFC West rivalry as the Denver Broncos (9-5) travel to California to take on the Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) on “Thursday Night Football.”
Entering this game, the Broncos currently sit in the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff standings, while the Chargers are comfortably in the No. 7 seed, and neither team has a chance to win the division, as the Chiefs have a four-game lead with only three games remaining. However, there is such a divide between the playoff contenders and the rest of the AFC, that regardless of the outcome of this game, both teams will still be slotted into playoff spots after the conclusion of this week’s games.
Both the Broncos and Chargers are chasing the Ravens (9-5) for the No. 5 seed, and with Baltimore facing off with the Steelers (10-4) this weekend for the lead in the AFC North, neither AFC West team will want to fall too far behind or they’ll end up stuck with the tougher matchup in the Wild Card round.
Betting line and pick for the game
The folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook are favoring Los Angeles in this game with the betting line being set at Chargers -2.5 points.
In a battle between former Oregon quarterbacks, Chargers’ Justin Herbert has been in a bit of a funk lately, while the Broncos’ rookie Bo Nix has flashed brilliance but has also got caught gambling—a lot, including five interceptions in the last two games. With both defenses playing at high levels, I’m siding with the veteran who can work his way through a rut versus a rookie who has been turning the ball over.
[Editor’s note: Who just so happens to be coached by Jim Harbaugh…]
Prediction: Chargers 23-20.
Here’s how to watch tonight’s game:
Broncos at Chargers
Date: Thursday, December 19, 2024
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California
TV (stream): Amazon Prime
Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kaylee Hartung (field reporter)
Additional online Streaming: NFL Sunday Ticket via YouTube, NFL+ Premium
Enjoy the game and come chat with us in the comments!