The Denver Broncos (1-0) and Indianapolis Colts (1-0) will face off in Week 2 of the NFL season. Broncos vs Colts kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. The game will broadcast live on CBS.
The Broncos are 1.5-point favorites over the Colts on the spread (Broncos -1.5), with the over/under set at 43.5. Denver is a -120 moneyline favorite to win outright; Indianapolis is +100.
Let's get into my Broncos vs Colts prediction and NFL picks for Sunday, September 14.
Broncos vs Colts Prediction
- Broncos vs Colts pick: Colts Moneyline (+100)
My Colts vs. Broncos best bet is on Indianapolis moneyline, with the best price currently available at Fanatics. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Broncos vs Colts Odds
| Broncos Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | -120 |
| Colts Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | +100 |
Broncos vs Colts NFL Week 2 Preview
I'm going with the Colts as short home underdogs against Denver in Week 2.
Bo Nix and the Broncos are listed as 1.5-point road favorites in this spot, and, quite frankly, Nix might have been the worst quarterback we saw in action last week in Denver's 20-12 victory over the Titans.
In last week's win over Tennessee, Nix completed 25-of-40 pass attempts for 176 yards to go along with one touchdown and two interceptions. Nix nearly had a third pass picked off — one that likely would've been returned for a pick-6 if the Titans were able to snag it — but it was dropped, which helped him save face.
On the other side of that same coin, nobody knew what to expect from the Colts offense in Daniel Jones' first game under center, but they looked great in Week 1, racking up 33 points on 418 total yards en route to a blowout win over the Dolphins.
The Colts defense is better than it was last year. The secondary is much improved, their defensive line is solid and the coaching staff seems to have much more confidence in the unit based on the schematic changes we saw in Week 1 relative to last year.
Last year, the Colts defense played Cover 3 at a high rate — over half the time — because they lacked talent in the secondary.
However, last week against Miami, the Colts played far less Cover 3 and we saw them use some far more elaborate defensive schemes.
Some of the Colts' defensive success in last week's contest can likely be attributed to the poor performance of Miami's offense. But I also think it's a testament to the improvements the Colts made on that side of the ball during the offseason.
Broncos vs Colts Prediction, Betting Analysis
It's difficult to decipher exactly how much of the Colts' success stemmed from the incompetence of the Dolphins.
Some will say Daniel Jones' performance was a fluke. But even if it was, Bo Nix and the Broncos looked really bad against Tennessee.
The Colts are home again in Week 2 while the Broncos hit the road after playing their season opener on home turf — yet Denver is favored in this spot? I'm not going to overthink this one.
The thought of betting on Daniel Jones against one of the best defenses in the league may be worrisome, but at the end of the day, the Broncos are still ironing out issues on both sides of the ball. Head coach Sean Payton is still figuring things out with this team; he already said he wasn't happy with the way he called last week's game.
You can also take the revenge narrative here.
The Broncos blew out the Colts by a score of 31-13 last year, which tied for Indy's worst loss of the entire season, and it was a baffling result if you just glance at the box score.
Nix threw three interceptions and only threw for 130 yards, and he was also Denver's leading rusher with 23 rushing yards. Yet somehow the Broncos scored 31 points in a blowout victory.
I'm still not really sure how that happened, and I'm sure the Colts aren't sure how it happened either.
I'm buying into all the Indy narratives here.
Pick: Colts Moneyline (+100)
Spread
I'm targeting the moneyline market instead of the spread in this spot.
Moneyline
My Colts vs. Broncos betting prediction is on Indianapolis to win outright on the moneyline as a home underdog.
Over/Under
I'm not betting either side of the total in this matchup.
