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Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers NFL Betting Odds & Spread

Written December 25, 2008 by Jason Lowry

Chargers Broncos Football

What a fitting end to the 2008 season for the San Diego Chargers, as they not only get a chance at seeking revenge on the Denver Broncos after they lost a game they should have won back in week 2, but they can steal the AFC West and send the Broncos out of the playoffs. Thanks to a blown call by referee Ed Hochuli in what should have been a Broncos fumble and game over, wound up in a Denver touchdown and a 2 pt. conversion that gave the Broncos a 39-38 win. The Broncos have really fell apart down the stretch, as they have failed to clinch the division the last two weeks, while the Chargers added their second straight road win, this time against the Buccaneers 41-24. For those of you looking to do a little NFL betting on the Sunday Night Football game, the oddsmakers have the Chargers 8 point favorites at home over the Broncos at Bookmaker.com.

All the Broncos had to do was beat a Bills team that had won just 1 game in their previous 8 games, and they were AFC West Champions and this game wouldn’t mean a thing, but instead the Broncos watched a 13-0 lead slip away. Jay Cutler had a ton of yards throwing, as he threw for 359 yards but failed to find the endzone and had a costly interception. The Broncos only big gain on the ground came on a 71 yard run by receiver Eddie Royal, as the Denver running backs had just 80 yards on the game. Cutler added 30 yards to the ground attack and teams only two touchdowns, including a 6 yard run that gave the Broncos the lead going into the 4th quarter. The offense is going to have to find a way to run the football this week, as they just can’t count on Cutler making every single play, and what a bad feeling it would be for this team to miss the playoffs, after it looked like they had it locked up about 4 weeks ago.

The Broncos defense continues to hurt this team, as they just can’t make the big plays when needed. Last week the offense gave them a 4 pt lead going into the 4th quarter, but they simply responded by letting the Bills drive it 72 yards on the very next drive for a touchdown. The defense didn’t give up a ton of yards, as the Bills had just 193 yards through the air and only 87 on the ground, but it was all about the big plays and making the stops when it mattered most. This week they go into San Diego where the Chargers are 4-3 at home this season, and if they can’t make any big plays in this one, its hard to imagine this team winning on the road. Bet Denver Broncos +8 at Bookmaker.com.

The Chargers season looked over just a couple of weeks ago when they trailed Kansas City 21-3 late, but a come from behind win and a solid beating of the Bucs last week, and all the sudden the Chargers could be ready to make some noise in the playoffs if they are able to hold off the Broncos at home this weekend. Against the Bucs last week Phillip Rivers was on his game, throwing for 267 yards and 4 scores, including 2 to tight end Antonio Gates. LaDainian Tomlinson didn’t have a huge day running the football, but was effective enough running for 90 yards on 21 carries. Also Vincent Jackson hauled in 7 catches for 111 yards, and Jackson went over the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career.

The Chargers defense put forth another strong effort, as they kept the Buccaneers running game in check, as the only one that did anything for the Bucs rushing attack was quarterback Jeff Garcia, who had 8 carries for 45 yards and a score, but as for the actual running backs they had just 66 yards on the ground. The Chargers also forced Garcia into throwing 2 interceptions including one to rookie corner Antoine Cason who returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. This defense had trouble stopping Cutler last time around, as he threw for 350 yards and 4 scores, but almost all of Denver’s points came in the first half, as the Chargers allowed just 8 points in the final 2 periods of play. Bet San Diego Chargers -8 at Bookmaker.com.

Lowry’s Lean on this Game: Chargers -8
I hands down think the Chargers are going to win this game, but where i struggled with this pick was with the 8 points they have to cover by. Im going with a gut instinct on this one, and the fact that the Broncos are 0-8 ATS vs. awful passing defenses – allowing a comp. pct. of 64% or worse over the last 2 seasons.

Predicted Score: Chargers 35 Broncos 24

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