Colts vs. Broncos Odds & Prediction: New QBs, Backfield Issues Impact TNF Forecast

The Indianapolis Colts are scheduled to play against the Denver Broncos on the road in a Thursday Night Football matchup to begin Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season.

In Colts vs. Broncos odds, the line opened last week with the Broncos as a 3.5-point choice. The number currently ranges from 3-3.5 points at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and PointsBet.

Let’s take a look at the latest TNF odds as well as our Colts vs. Broncos prediction.

TNF Odds: Point Spread, Moneyline, Total

Here are Thursday Night Football odds across the sports betting industry as both teams are struggling with their new quarterbacks and backfield issues.

Colts-Broncos New QBs, Backfield Issues Impact TNF

For the second Thursday night in a row, a rookie head coach will be getting his first experience prepping a team on three days’ rest. This time, it’s Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett.

Counting last week’s loss by Miami and newbie head coach Mike McDaniel, which ended their perfect run to start the season, teams with first-year bosses in this scenario are 4-23 straight up (SU) dating back to 2014 and 7-20 against the spread (ATS).

Both teams have been disappointments offensively to open the year behind the high-profile QBs they acquired in the offseason. Indy (1-2-1) and Denver (2-2)  are tied for last in the league with six touchdowns apiece after four games.

Indy’s Matt Ryan, the league MVP in 2016 with Atlanta, is 19th on the passer chart and having his worst season since 2009 (based on passer rating). And what’s maybe even worse, he’s got a league-high nine fumbles, three more than anyone else. And he also has lost the most yards on sacks. Good grief!

Meanwhile, Wilson, a former Super Bowl champion with Seattle, is indeed having his worst season based on passer rating and is 16th on the chart. He’s also nursing a right shoulder injury on his passing arm (probable) that has limited him in drills this week.

And both teams now are in a major bind at running back.

Denver’s leading rusher, Javonte Williams, tore an ACL last week and is on IR. Their second-best RB, fumble-prone Melvin Gordon (four of them), is questionable with a neck injury but expects to play. The next man up is Mike Boone, who’s had 78 carries in his five-year career.

The next man up behind Boone is veteran Latavius Murray, who was picked up off the New Orleans practice squad this week. On Sunday in London, he led the Saints in rushing. Four days later, there’s a chance he could see some action if he’s recovered on short rest after traveling across a zillion time zones.

In Indy, meanwhile, RB Jonathan Taylor, last year’s rushing champion, has been ruled out after spraining an ankle late last week in the Colts’ loss to Tennessee. He did not return for the team’s final drive.

And there’s more. Top Indy defender, LB Shaquille Leonard, is out with a concussion and fractured nose. And Denver star OLB Randy Gregory was replaced on IR due to a knee injury.

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Colts vs. Broncos TNF Prediction

It’s a wonder the over/under number isn’t about 30, especially since Denver’s defense has yielded only five TDs the first four weeks, tied for fourth fewest.

With both teams facing major issues, several things that stick out in the Colts’ favor: Wilson’s injury might cause him to give way at some point, the experience of fifth-year head coach Frank Reich, and Indy’s healthier situation at backup RB with Nyheim Hines, who has proven to be a sturdy understudy to Taylor. Also, if something happens to Ryan, Reich can reach out to backup Nick Foles, who won a Super Bowl in 2017 with Philadelphia with Reich as OC.

And Reich surely knows the difficulty of working on a short week, with Indy losing in each of his first two seasons as boss. But in the past two, the Colts have rolled (2-0 SU/ATS).

Forecast: Colts 19, Broncos 13

Also read: Colts vs. Broncos player props and TD scorer bets | NFL Week 5 betting picks and predictions