NFL Odds Week 3: Broncos favored over Lions for Sunday night matchup
The NFL wraps up Sunday's Week 3 action with an inter-conference matchup between the 2-0 Denver Broncos and the 0-2 Detroit Lions. The Lions are home underdogs, with the line opening at Broncos -2.5 and settling at a field goal at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
The moneyline has the Broncos between -155 and -175. The Lions moneyline ranges between +135 and +155, depending on the sportsbook.
This game was initially off the board because of the injury status of Matthew Stafford. The Lions quarterback had x-rays on his ribs and chest after the team’s Week 2 loss. He took a lot of hits, and finished the game with a bloody elbow. However, Stafford is listed as a full participant in practice this week. He is not 100%, but he will play.
Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy did not practice on Wednesday, after being inactive for Week 2. His absence would be a big blow to a pass defense that will need all the help it can get against the Broncos.
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The Broncos sat Aqib Talib due to an illness on Wednesday, but he is expected to be fine come Sunday. Running back C.J. Anderson is dealing with ankle and toe injuries, but was a full participant in early practices. He is expected to play, although he has struggled to get going in the Broncos backfield.
Denver has struggled in recent history against the NFC North, going 1-5 against the spread in its last six games against the division according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
However, the team has won and covered in its first two games of the season. There are questions about the team’s offensive effectiveness, but they have done enough to get the job done.
The Lions have lost four in a row straight up, and are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games. They have had historic success against Denver, going 4-1 against the spread in the last five meetings between these two teams.
The point total is set at 44.5 after opening at 48 at the sportsbooks. The Broncos went UNDER in Week 1, and OVER in Week 2, while the Lions reversed that.
The OddsShark Computer predicts a Lions victory 21.4-19.6, which would provide for the underdog outright win, and the UNDER.
