Empower Field at Mile High will be the center of the NFL world on Thursday Night Football. The Indianapolis Colts will visit Denver to take on the Broncos in a face-off between two-loss AFC teams that just lost their starting running backs. The Colts are 1-2-1 after a loss to the division rival Tennessee Titans in Week 4 and will be without Jonathan Taylor (ankle). The Broncos are 2-2 overall and 2-0 at home this season and will be without Javonte Williams (knee).
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. 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 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
The Colts are in the top 10 with 252 passing yards per game and land above the league average in first downs and third-down conversion rate. Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan is No. 4 in the league with 1,125 passing yards this season and ranks No. 7 with 102 completions. Ryan has more than 60,000 career passing yards and 372 passing touchdowns and has exceeded 3,900 passing yards in 11 consecutive seasons.
Even with injury uncertainty at running back, the Colts can lean on wide receiver Michael Pittman, who caught 82 passes for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. Pittman has 224 yards in only three games this season and puts pressure on the opposition. Denver has a stout defense, but the Broncos yielding 32 points and 212 rushing yards in a Week 4 loss, and Indianapolis is also quite potent on defense. The Colts are in the top 10 in total defense, passing defense, rushing defense, and yards per carry allowed, with above-average marks in scoring defense and third down defense. See who to back here.
Why the Broncos can coverIndianapolis has scored the fewest points (57) in the NFL this season, and the Colts have not exceeded 20 points in any 2022 game. The 57-point mark is the franchise's lowest in the first four games since 1998, and the Colts are scoring on only 25% of drives. Indianapolis is putting up only 1.30 points per drive and the Colts rank second-worst in EPA per game.
Part of the issue for the Colts is ball security, with Indianapolis committing nine turnovers and throwing five interceptions in four games. The Colts are minus-29 in points off turnovers, the worst differential in the NFL, and are scuffling along the offensive line. The Colts are No. 27 with 351 rushing yards, with only one rushing touchdown and 3.5 yards per carry. Indianapolis has been brutal in the red zone, scoring only six touchdowns on 13 trips, while Denver leads the league in defensive red zone efficiency. See who to back here.
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
