The Denver Broncos are back on the rise after a momentary bout of public skepticism made their odds to make the NFL playoffs go haywire. Will they stay on the descent during their Week 16 matchup against the New England Patriots?
- What: Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots
- Date: Sunday, December 24, 2023
- Time: 8:15 p.m. eastern standard time
- Where: Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado
- Point Spread: Broncos (TBA), Patriots (TBA)
For many, the answer to this question will depend on how they fare against the Detroit Lions, on the road, in Week 15. But Week 16 NFL online betting odds are already out, so we’re going to tackle this showdown now:
Favorite 
Underdog Denver Broncos -100 +100 New England Patriots
Please remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Broncos vs. Patriots Week 16 betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, December 2128. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to make adjustments leading into opening kick-off on Christmas Eve.
And since we’re delivering these NFL Week 16 picks so far in advance, we’ll be looking at the Broncos vs. Patriots moneyline odds and Broncos vs. Patriots point spread odds alone. The over/under will drop later. For now, we’ll lay out the case for each team and deliver our final prediction.
For the time being at least, faith has been restored in the Broncos among many NFL analysts, podcasters, media members and the like. But the NFL Week 16 betting lines don’t heavily favor Denver. New England is entering as a slight underdog. That’s a big deal considering they’ll be playing on the road.
Linemakers appear to be reading into their performance from Week 14, when they edged out the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to a stout defensive display and a rock-solid showing from quarterback Bailey Zappe, who completed nearly 68 percent of his passes. Does this prove the Patriots are turning a late-season spoiler and ready to play mid-winter spoiler? Or do the early Broncos vs. Patriots online betting odds miss the mark?
The Case for Betting on the Denver Broncos in Week 16
Defense fueled the Denver Broncos’ five-game winning streak that didn’t end until they fell to the Houston Texans in Week 13. It was also what carried them in their Week 14 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. And it should, of course, be the focus ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the New England Patriots.
Bill Belichick’s squad from Foxborough always profiled as an easy cover. The offense has been broken for most of the year. Giving the reins to Zappe over Mac Jones has not changed much. The Patriots are averaging just 11.3 points per game with him under center, a low number fueled by their zero-point disaster against the Chargers in Week 13.
Denver will have by far and away the best defense New England has faced during this stretch. The Broncos are allowing just 16 points per game over their past eight contests—a truly elite mark. Their success has featured everything from a stout run defense to playmaking against the pass to forcing turnovers in droves. And those turnovers have a way up setting up incredible field position for the offense. So even if Russell Wilson and friends aren’t able to find the end zone at a high clip, you can bet they’ll be well within field goal range on most of their drives.
The Case for Betting on the New England Patriots in Week 16
New England’s defense has regained some of their old swagger from years past in recent weeks. They’re allowing 12.8 points per game over their last five and have not yielded more than 20 points in a single contest during this stretch.
To be fair, the Patriots’ schedule has not included a murderer’s row of elite offenses. But they did keep a healthy Chargers squad in check during their Week 13 loss.
Generating enough offense will be the real struggle. Yet, the Patriots may have unlocked something against the win over the Steelers.
Putting the ball in Zappe’s hands more proved to be a good formula. He attempted a season-high 28 passes, which he parlayed into a 115.2 QB rating. That’s a pretty hefty accomplishment against the Steelers’ defense. And it’s a model the Patriots should consider leaning on in Week 16.
Official Broncos vs. Patriots Week 16 Prediction
We understand if anyone is hesitant to bet on NFL games weeks in advance. So many things can happen over the course of even one seven-day block—mainly injuries.
With that said, we’re pouncing on the Broncos over the Patriots now.
From where we’re standing, their -100 payout is only going to move further and further away from even money. The defense has been that good.
Denver has forced 17 turnovers over their last five games. That doesn’t happen by accident. And that defensive playmaking should serve them well against an inexperienced quarterback like Zappe.
OSB Prediction: Denver Broncos (-100)
Who Covers the Point Spread in Week 16: Denver or New England?
Oddsmakers have already dropped Week 16 point spread betting lines for the Christmas Eve showdown between the Patriots and Broncos. But before we tackle our point spread prediction, we’d just like to remind you yet again that these NFL point spread betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, December 12. Keep this in mind as you plan when to submit your wager.
Below you can see the latest Patriots vs. Broncos point spread betting lines:
- Denver Broncos, -1.5 (-110)
- New England Patriots, +1.5 (-110)
We entered this section with an open mind. The Broncos are not blowout-victory kings. If they were a -4.5 favorite or better, we’d have a real decision on our hands.
Instead, we have a no-brainer. If you expect the Broncos to win, you might as well expect them to pick up the victory by more than one point. The moneyline offers a slight better payout, so you might as well go with that. But don’t rule out parlaying the two at football betting sites that allow it.
OSB Prediction: Denver Broncos, -1.5 (-110)
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