AFC West rivals face off in NFL Week 3 when the Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) host the Denver Broncos (1-1) on Sunday, September 21. Kickoff is set for in 4:05 p.m. ET from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The game will broadcast live on CBS.
The Chargers are 2.5-point favorites over the Broncos on the spread (Chargers -2.5), with the over/under set at 46 total points. Los Angeles is a -155 favorite to win outright while Denver is +130 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Broncos vs Chargers predictions for Sunday afternoon.
Broncos vs Chargers Predictions
- Broncos vs Chargers picks: Ladd McConkey Over 60.5 Receiving Yards (-110); Justin Herbert Over 249.5 Passing Yards (-110)
My Chargers vs. Broncos best bets are on a pair of Chargers player props. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Broncos vs Chargers Odds
| Broncos Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -105 | 46 -110o / -110u | +130 |
| Chargers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -115 | 46 -110o / -110u | -155 |
Broncos vs Chargers NFL Week 3 Preview
First, let's start with Ladd McConkey. His receiving yards line might the biggest overreaction of the season so far.
Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston have both produced big games right out of the gate to start the year for the Chargers, but that is no reason to discount McConkey entering Week 3.
McConkey is averaging 61 yards per game, and while this is a tough matchup against a good Broncos defense, this number is just simply too low.
I have McConkey projected for north of 70 yards against Denver this week.
Our initial run of projections have Justin Herbert about 25-30 yards over his passing yards number (249.5 at the time of writing), and I am having trouble finding reasons to pull it down from there.
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Chargers have been one of the most pass-heavy teams in football. They have thrown the ball 66% of the time and have the highest pass rate in neutral scripts.
Broncos vs Chargers Predictions, Betting Analysis
McConkey has stayed under 58 yards in only one of his last 10 games, which was last week's outing against the Raiders, a game in which the Chargers dominated from start to finish and were not forced to throw the ball very much. He has also cleared 74 yards in eight of his last 10 games.
While bigger roles for Allen and Johnston could continue to impact him, McConkey still leads all Chargers wide receivers in snaps and routes, and he's averaging around seven targets per game. He has also run 63% of his routes from the slot this season — that will help him avoid Patrick Surtain.
Herbert is arguably the MVP of the league right now, so while this is a brutal matchup, he has the talent and the weapons around him to beat the Broncos.
The game script could also call for more volume, as we haven't really seen the Chargers need to throw this season, but they've done so anyway.
Picks:
- Ladd McConkey Over 60.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
- Justin Herbert Over 249.5 Passing Yards (-110)
Spread
I'm not betting either side of the spread in this matchup.
Moneyline
I'm also staying away from the moneyline market.
Over/Under
My Chargers vs. Broncos betting predictions are McConkey over 60.5 receiving yards and Herbert over 249.5 passing yards.
