The Chargers visit the high altitude of Denver as 3-point favorites vs. Broncos in a Week 6 AFC West showdown.
Los Angeles should have fresh legs after a much needed bye week where they were able to rest both starting tackles (Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater) and Joey Bosa, all of whom missed their last game vs Kansas City.
The Broncos enter the game quietly on a 3-game winning streak after beating the Raiders 34-18 last week.
Keep reading to see my analysis of this game and how I'm approaching it from a betting perspective.
Chargers vs Broncos Odds Week 6
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos, Oct. 13, 4:05 pm ET
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Chargers | -3 (-105) | -154 | O 35.5 (-108) |
| Denver Broncos | +3 (-115) | +130 | U 35.5 (-112) |
Odds as of October 9 via FanDuel
Chargers vs Broncos Picks Week 6
Chargers ML (-154)
I like the Chargers in this game and bet them -1.5 on the point spread Sunday night for our expert pick section right when the line opened. The line has moved favorably for my bet and we appear on track to capture some closing line value. However, now that the line is Chargers -3, I'm recommending the -154 moneyline for the purposes of this article because I don't want to give you a stale number and I think this is your best option at this point.
After the bye, Los Angeles should be getting back several key pieces and star QB Justin Herbert is two more weeks removed from an ankle injury that hindered his mobility.
Meanwhile the Broncos have injury concerns on the offensive line which isn't a good thing when you're facing Khalil Mack and potentially Joey Bosa. Denver's starting center Luke Wattenberg was banged up in last week's game and backup RT Alex Palczewski (filling in for starter Mike McGlinchey who is still out) is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain.
The Chargers have a good 3rd down defense, one that's better than the numbers indicate because they were inflated in a game vs. Patrick Mahomes without Bosa and Junior Colson. I expect Bo Nix to be seeing a lot of 3rd and longs for an offense that ranks 31st in 3rd down conversion %.
Chargers vs Broncos News
The Chargers entered their bye week with several star players nursing injuries including QB Justin Herbert, DE Joey Bosa and both starting tackles (Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt). Herbert isn't a threat to miss time, but it will be interesting to see how mobile he looks throughout practice and if he continues to sport the leg brace he donned in Monday's practice.
Alt and LB Junior Colson were back practicing in full with the team so there's already promising injury news from Los Angeles.
Chargers vs. Broncos Props Week 6
I did a deep dive into the player props for this game, but ultimately decided to pass on props for this game.
Chargers vs. Broncos Betting Trends
- Justin Herbert has gone under 1.5 passing touchdowns in six of his last seven games according to Outlier
- The total has gone UNDER in all the Chargers' last 6 games
- LA Chargers are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games
- LA Chargers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against Denver
- Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games and 6-2 in its last 8 home games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games against LA Chargers
