A run of solid matchups on Thursday Night Football comes to an end this week with a basement-dwelling showdown between the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts on the slate.
The two teams are a combined 7-19 this season and have nothing to play for but pride the rest of the way.
Usually, games without stakes are ones to stay away from, but with only three weeks of the season left, this one is worth a look.
The wager: Denver Broncos (-2.5) at Indianapolis Colts
It's generally wise to avoid betting the road team on Thursday Night Football, especially one that is 0-6 away from home this season, but the Broncos are the side to wager on this week.
Denver finally snapped its eight-game losing streak with a 23-0 shutout of the New York Jets on Sunday, receiving competent quarterback play from Trevor Siemian in the process. Perhaps what was most encouraging was the return of the once-dominant defense, holding the Jets to a paltry 100 total yards of offense in the win.
The Colts played in a blizzard and lost in overtime to the Buffalo Bills, which means they head to Thursday's game with the cards stacked against them.
Colts are playing on Thursday after an OT game. Teams in that situation are 3-16 ATS since 2007, and that is without considering the conditions they played in on Sunday.
— Raymond Summerlin (@RMSummerlin) December 12, 2017
That trend alone makes Denver the play in this one. Broncos 21, Colts 13
Thursday picks record: 9-5-1
