Lions vs. Broncos on Saturday: Odds, preview and best bets

Two teams with very much alive playoff hopes will close out what should be an exciting Saturday NFL betting slate. The Denver Broncos enter Week 15 as one of five AFC teams with a 7-6 record and are just one game behind AFC West-leading Kansas City. The Detroit Lions (9-4) have a two-game lead in the NFC North over Minnesota.

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Barring a disappointing finish, the Lions should be postseason-bound, assuming they beat a struggling Minnesota team in at least one of two upcoming matchups. As exciting as that would be for a deprived sports-loving city, they should not be satisfied with just getting to a playoff game.

Detroit has lost two of its past three, with both losses coming within the division. Since their bye, the Lions are 3-2 but even the wins were not convincing, coming by an average of four points per win. This week at home provides an excellent opportunity to start a winning streak and soar into the playoffs.

It may be difficult to remember that these Broncos started the season 1-5 before winning six of their past seven games. It is not as difficult to remember that this (apparently) same Broncos team allowed 70 points in a historic 50-point loss to the Dolphins.

But the Broncos have turned their season around, led by their defense. That sentence would have been impossible to believe after the season’s first six weeks, but here we are. Denver is one of the league’s hottest teams and has a chance to keep moving toward a playoff berth, starting on Saturday night.

Before their bye, the Lions allowed an average of under 21 points per game to opponents. Since their off week, they have allowed just a shade under 30, including 28 to the Bears a week ago. We voiced our concern with the Lions’ play in this space a week ago, picking the Bears to win outright. The Broncos are a better team than Chicago and are simply playing better football than the Lions. We won’t go so far as to pick Denver to win, but covering this spread seems like a good bet over at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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These odds at Caesars Sportsbook are surprisingly favorable for someone who has scored a touchdown in 10 of 13 games played. He has reached the endzone in six of his past seven games, and we have detailed the Lions defensive struggles above. He particularly likes playing away from home, as he has scored in all six of his road games this season.

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Game Prediction: Lions 24, Broncos 22

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