Sunday Night Football features the best of the best, with flexed games, superstar quarterbacks, and massive playoff implications for the world to watch. This upcoming Sunday will feature Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow battling for the right to lead the AFC North.
The same cannot be said for Thursday Night Football. Week 5’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos is a storyline selection. Two veteran quarterbacks on new teams face off during their paths to the playoffs! Great, both teams look bad, and neither passer has exceeded expectations.
The losses to running backs Javonte Williams and Jonathan Taylor only hurt the acclaim of Thursday’s matchup.
How long will Javonte Williams and Jonathan Taylor be out?
Williams suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee during Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. His season is over, putting a dent in Denver’s plans to have him lead the backfield and create big plays for the offense. The additional ligament damage clouds his rehab, but the Broncos are hopeful the second-year back, who had shown signs of development in 2022, will be back for the start of next season.
Taylor suffered an ankle injury in Week 4’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. Though it was suspected he suffered a high ankle sprain, the extent of his diagnosis is that it will keep him out of Thursday’s action. There is not yet any indication that his Week 6 status will be in doubt, though we can expect the Colts to be cautious with their superstar.
What do these injuries mean for Thursday Night Football?
The Broncos losing out on an explosive playmaker hurts, but their stable of backs behind him, including Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone, should be viable. Gordon’s fumbling issues have opened the door for Boone to see additional playing time, too, though I wouldn’t count on taking any props in his name.
For Indianapolis, Taylor’s injury has more immediate gravity. Running backs probably don’t matter as much as your father thinks they do, but an injury like this one forces a radical shift in game plan. They’ll be forced to rely on an already struggling passing attack against one of the league’s better secondaries.
Henceforth, I like Denver at -3.5 (-102 on FanDuel). The opportunity to win $98.04 instead of $90.91 on an $100 bet (typical -110 odds) is a nice bonus, too. The Broncos have the better quarterback and the advantage between star corner Patrick Surtain II and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
BASIC TIPS
This article references the line of Denver -3.5 This is an against the spread (ATS) bet. In order to win, the team must cover the difference listed. If they win by four or more, the bet hits. If the Colts less than four or win, the bet does not hit. A helpful way of tracking these bets is by using the sign next to the spread. Denver is -3.5. Therefore, their score, -3.5 points, must be higher than Indianapolis in order for them to cover. These bets generally have a 50/50 chance of winning and can be combined with other bets to create a parlay, or a combination of bets with boosted odds.