Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season concludes Monday night as the Denver Broncos host the Tennessee Titans in the nightcap of the annual opening-week Monday Night Football doubleheader, with first kick at Empower Field at Mile High scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. Below, we make our 5 best props bets for the Broncos in their season opener, with our NFL picks and best bets.
5 Denver Broncos NFL prop bets to make
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 4:15 a.m.
Broncos under 9.5 points in the first half (-112)
With quarterback Drew Lock making only his sixth start, a new offensive coordinator in former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, a host of new offensive starters and key pieces, and one of the league’s youngest offenses overall, the Broncos really could’ve used a normal offseason and preseason. Of course they got neither due to COVID-19, and in the season’s opening 30 minutes against the league’s 12th-ranked scoring defense from a year ago, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect a slow start for the home team.
Fourth quarter to be game’s highest-scoring quarter (+175)
Despite the injury absence of Von Miller, the Broncos also possess a strong defense — the Titans experienced it firsthand a season ago in 16-0 loss Week 6 in Denver — and that could spell a slow scoring start overall in the game. Still, it is a late-night, Week 1 contest at altitude following a truncated offseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising in the least to see most of the offensive output come late in this one as the defenses wear down a bit.
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Broncos QB Drew Lock under 21.5 pass completions (-115)
With Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton questionable Monday with a shoulder injury, and including some of the other aforementioned offensive conditions Denver is dealing with, expect a run-heavy game script for the Broncos on Monday night. And even to get to 22 completions at his 2019 completion rate (64.1), Lock would have to attempt at least 34 passes — a figure he reached only once in five starts in 2019.
Lock over 13.5 rushing yards (-106)
Lock is more mobile that many realize, and last year he rushed for at least 15 yards in three of five contests. And if aerial gains are going to be harder to come by, look for Lock to make it four of six career contests with at least 14 yards on the ground.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon over 3.5 receptions (+130)
With 150 receptions in his final three seasons with the Chargers — an average of 3.8 per game — Gordon is one of the league’s premier receiving backs. It’s one of the reasons he was signed this offseason to pair with incumbent Denver running back Phillip Lindsay, who’s struggled as a pass catcher with 70 catches in 31 career contests. And with Shurmur a big proponent of throwing to backs — witness Saquon Barkley’s 143 receptions the last two seasons with the Giants — expect Lock to often look the veteran’s way in the flat Monday night with the rest of his pass-catching corps dealing with inexperience and health issues.
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