Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season kicks off with an AFC showdown on Thursday Night Football. Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos will welcome Matt Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts to Empower Field at Mile High. Indianapolis is 1-2-1 this season after a 24-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. Denver is 2-2 and also coming off a 32-23 defeat at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET in Denver. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Broncos as 3-point home favorites in the latest Colts vs. Broncos odds, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 42.5. Before you make any Broncos vs. Colts picks and NFL predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's resident Colts expert, R.J. White, has to say.
White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes as SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in picks against the spread, and went 445-378-24 on his ATS picks from 2017-21, which returned $2,542 to $100 players. He's also gone an impressive 36-24-2 on his NFL picks involving the Colts, meaning he's well-qualified for this selection.
White is well-known for cashing out big in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest twice since 2015. White also cashed big on his NFL futures in 2021, including nailing Jonathan Taylor as the NFL rushing leader at 10-1. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has set his sights on Colts vs. Broncos and just locked in his picks and NFL Week 5 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Colts vs. Broncos:
Colts vs. Broncos spread: Broncos -3 Colts vs. Broncos over/under: 42.5 points Colts vs. Broncos money line: Broncos -178, Colts +150 IND: Colts are 11-10 against the spread in their last 21 games DEN: Broncos are 9-12 against the spread in their last 21 games Colts vs. Broncos picks: See picks hereFeatured Game | Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis ranks in the top ten of the NFL in passing offense, averaging 252 yards per game behind four-time Pro Bowler and former MVP Matt Ryan. Indianapolis is above-average in first downs this season, moving the chains on 39.6% of third down opportunities. On the outside, Michael Pittman generated 88 catches for 1,082 yards in 2021 and has 224 receiving yards in three appearances this season.
On defense, the Colts are quite stingy, allowing only 297 total yards per game, No. 6 in the NFL. Indianapolis is also No. 6 in run defense, giving up fewer than 90 rushing yards per game, and opponents are generating only 3.1 yards per carry. Denver relies on its running attack on offense, and the Colts are also above-average in scoring defense (21.3 points allowed per game) and third down efficiency allowed to opponents (36.5%).
Why the Broncos can coverThe Broncos are No. 5 in scoring defense, allowing only 17.0 points per game. That is backed up by 1.41 points allowed per drive and an opponent scoring percentage of only 31.8. Denver has allowed only 19 total points in two home games and is giving up only 284.8 total yards per game. No team has a better red zone efficiency mark (33.3%) on defense than the Broncos, and Denver is in the top quartile in third down efficiency allowed. The Broncos are in the top six in first downs allowed, passing yards allowed, net yards per pass attempt allowed and more, with only three passing touchdowns allowed this season.
Patrick Surtain Jr. is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, leading the league in yards allowed per target (3.8) this season. Former top-five pick and Pro Bowl selection Bradley Chubb has three sacks in the first four games for Denver. Indianapolis has not exceeded 20 points in a single game this season, and the Colts have the worst scoring offense (14.3 points per game) in 2022.
How to make Colts vs. Broncos picksWhite has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Under the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back,
