The Chargers are in a nice spot coming into Week 18, if the Ravens lose in the early wind, then they’ll be the No. 5 seed in the AFC and have a date with the winner of the AFC South, by far the weakest division in the conference, but maybe it’d be better to be a Broncos fan. I mean there’s no pressure, no chance of a Week 18 meltdown or a disaster in the playoffs. Denver has already gotten all their pain for this season out of the way. You can’t hurt Broncos fans anymore.
I can feel it coming, now that Nathaniel Hackett is gone, Russell Wilson is in the very early stages of a redemption arc that will carry through the offseason, and the best way to kick that into high gear is a Week 18 win over LA. A Russell Wilson with nothing to lose might truly be unlimited.
I’m dropping in from Betsided to remind you Broncos fans of the things you need to tell yourself to sleep at night for the next seven years of this. Here’s some hope in the form of a few prop bets for Week 18, because if your team can’t win games at least they can win you some money.
Best NFL Prop Bets for Chargers vs. Broncos
Russell Wilson Anytime Touchdown +750
First Half Over 20 (+100)
Brandon McManus Under 1.5 Made Field Goals (-125)
Russell Wilson Anytime Touchdown +750
It’s not always the best idea to follow what happened last week, but Wilson seems to finally be giving up on his belief that he’s a true pocket passer. Wilson’s legs were always what opened up the rest of his game and made him such a scary quarterback to face. He’s been running the ball more down the stretch of the season and last week he only took off four times, but two of them ended in scores. Brandon Staley’s defense wants to put a cap on the opponents offense with deep safeties, but that opens up running lanes if your quarterback is willing to tuck it.
First Half Over 20 (+100)
LA’s defense is playing at their best right now, but I think they’re susceptible to giving up some points this week, and Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler should move the ball with relative ease for the Chargers while they play, even if limited. The Chargers are fourth in first half scoring this year, so if Denver chips in at all this should be an easy over. I think the Broncos will be able to score because in their last three games, they’ve converted 100% of their red zone trips into touchdowns. Over the same stretch, LA is at 78%.
Brandon McManus Under 1.5 Made Field Goals (-125)
This bet works for me in two ways. First, it’s a hedge against the Broncos offense being functional, we shouldn’t put all our eggs in that basket. The second reason is the red zone offense for Denver. They’re scoring touchdowns when they get inside the 20 yard line, so McManus might not get two field goal attempts let alone make two.
Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE
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