Los Angeles vs. Denver (LAC -3, 35.5)
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Los Angeles vs. Denver | Sunday, October 13, 2024
The Denver Broncos enter Week Six as a pleasantly surprising second-place ranking in the AFC West with a 3-2 record, looking to extend their win streak to four. Denver sits one spot ahead of their opponents, the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers are 2-2, coming off of a bye week, and have an excellent opportunity to beat their division rival and rise above .500.
Denver is coming off a dominant 34-18 win against their division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. At halftime, the Broncos had a total of 125 yards on offense and had only converted one third down, trailing 10-3 at the break. However, they found their rhythm in the second half, finishing the game with 288 total yards and a commanding 34-18 win after Bo Nix threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another. Javonte Williams was a standout, amassing 111 total yards. Defensively, Pat Surtain II's crucial 100-yard interception return for a touchdown shifted momentum, and the Broncos' defense limited the Raiders effectively. Special teams also shined, highlighted by Marvin Mims Jr.'s 54 punt return yards.
It was a surprising offensive performance, considering Denver ranks 28th in the NFL in yards per play and also sits at 28th in yards per game. And with a below-average 19.2 points per game so far, they really needed this blowout win. Their defense, on the other hand, has been imposing, limiting opponents to just 14.6 points per game, the second-best in the league. They've also only allowed 159.8 yards passing a game, which is the fifth-best in the NFL.
That Denver defense will be working against a Los Angeles offense that has been very disappointing throughout the season's first five weeks. Although Justin Herbert has the twelfth-best QBR this season among starting quarterbacks, Los Angeles ranks 28th in points per game and 29th in yards per game, making them a contender for the least effective offense in the entire league.
Luckily for Herbert, the Chargers have dominated the other side of the ball. Los Angeles is giving up the fewest points per game, holding opponents to just 12.5 on average. They also only allow a 28.57% red zone scoring percentage, good for second among NFL defenses.
If the Chargers want to take down Bo Nix and the Broncos, they'll need to figure out how to get the ball in the end zone. Herbert and the Los Angeles offense score touchdowns on just 44.4% of their red zone drives, ranking 24th in the NFL. They also average just 1.8 touchdowns a game, the fifth worst across the league.
If they can't manage to score points, and that Broncos offense continues building on last week's performance, this could get ugly for the Chargers, although they are currently three-point favorites.
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Chargers -3