Colts
vs.
Broncos
NFL Week 1
Sunday Night Pick
9/7/14
The Broncos will host the Colts in the week 1 Sunday Night Game and what a way to close out the first Sunday. We have an old great going up against a young great in Manning vs. LUck. The Broncos are -7.5 point favorites at GTBets and 5 dimes sportsbook with a total of 55.5.
Obviously Manning and the Broncos are going to want to erase the Super Bowl from peoples minds (and their own) with a huge win to open the 2014 season at home. Manning is also going to want to pay back LUck and the Colts for last years Game which saw the Colts upend the Broncos in Indy, 39-33. Plenty of motivation here for he Broncos.
The Colts were a legitimate playoff team a year ago. The belonged. They beat several playoff teams throughout the season last year iNCluding San Fran, Seattle, Denver, Cincinnati and KC and knocked out the Chiefs in the Wild Card round before coming up short in New England in the Divisional Round.
In their Game with the Broncos last year, Denver couldn’t contain Colts linebacker Robert Mathis. He had two sacks and forced a fumble along with the impact he had that doesn’t show up in the box score. He was a key piece to the Colts win a year ago. This time around, he’s out, suspended for the first Four weeks of the season.
The Broncos know their offense is fine, it’s their defense that let them down in the biggest Game of the year. But the Broncos made all kinds of moves in the offseason to improve that side of the ball. They went after and landed Demarcus Ware and Aqib Talib and used their first round pick to draft cornerback Bradley Roby.
This isn’t a Broncos team building for the future. This is a team that knows the window is going to slam shut very soon with Peyton Manning’s retirement looming on the horizon. Their off season moves hammered that point home. Coming up short in week 1 at home would crush the spirit of this team. This team is built to win NOW.
Obviously we like the Broncos here. If there’s no movement to -7 we’d have to buy the hook and bring this Game from -7.5 to -7. Something else to consider would be to use the Broncos in a teaser. It’s one of the few instaNCes we’d recommend a teaser, Bring a solid -7 point home fav down to -1 or -1.5 can be very advantageous. The problem of course, is finding another team to use. That ones up to you.
We’ll leave it at Broncos -7 (buying the half point).