Mahomes’ Ankle Injury Bringing the Spread and Total in Chiefs vs Broncos Down
- Kansas City opened as -5.5 favorites, but that has dropped to -3
- The game total opened at 50.5 and is now down to 48.5
- Mahomes has had markedly different numbers since his ankle injury
In today’s NFL, quarterbacks across the league run the show. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has as much of an impact as any player in the league, but the pendulum swings both ways. When he’s healthy, he sets opposing defenses ablaze. When he’s hurt, his offense grinds to a halt.
After appearing to aggravate an ankle injury in last week’s loss to Houston, the spread and game total in Thursday’s KC vs Denver game (Oct. 14th, 8:20 PM ET) have both declined.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | -165 | -3.0 (-110) | Over 48.5 (-105) |
| Denver Broncos | +144 | +3.0 (-110) | Under 48.5 (-115) |
Odds taken 10/16/19.
Here is the latest look at Mahomes’ injury in question:
This play was the game.#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes appears to re-injure his ankle and also smacks his head off the turf.
Before: 10/16, 189 yards, 2 TDs (about 20 mins. of game time)
After: 9/19, 84 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (about 40 mins. game time) pic.twitter.com/ZqY0b2dTE1— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) October 14, 2019
He did later manage this play, in which he was able to escape pressure with above-average quickness, yet didn’t look quite like his nimble self.
? Go crazy, @cheetah ?#HOUvsKC ?: CBS pic.twitter.com/hWcbOyU1xJ
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 13, 2019
The question now is, when it comes to the Chiefs vs. Broncos odds and stats, is there greater value in betting on the decreased over and Chiefs’ spread? Or will Mahomes’ injury continue to slow the Kansas City offense?
Short Week; Who Will Step Up?
One challenge facing Mahomes is that the Chiefs are on a short week; they played at home on Sunday afternoon and now turn around to face the Broncos on Thursday in the rarified air of Denver. That means limited time to rest and heal.
The good news is, Mahomes was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, as was his favorite target, Tyreek Hill, who returned last week after missing the four previous games with a clavicle injury. In his return, Hill hauled in five catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
.@Cheetah is back.
This Mahomes to Tyreek touchdown is unreal ??? #HOUvsKC
?: CBS
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/xLc7ljuEnj pic.twitter.com/Bj1Kl3Bk2L— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2019
That certainly helps, but Kansas City will likely need the running game to offer more support to Mahomes. It’s been a rather up-and-down part of the Chiefs’ offense, with three games of 110+ yards and two games of 40 or fewer.
Damien Williams is supposed to be the starter, but his 63 yards on 32 carries (2.0 yards/carry) aren’t nearly good enough. LeSean McCoy, however, has been a pleasant surprise with 258 yards on 48 carries (5.4 yards/carry).
Daily reminder that LeSean McCoy wasn’t a waste of money pic.twitter.com/TKzdfdCq3l
— ? (@LanceTHESPOKEN) October 1, 2019
Offense vs. Defense
Thursday pits the Broncos’ fourth-ranked defense (307.8 yards allowed per game) against the Chiefs’ third-ranked offense (422 yards/game). Keep in mind that the Broncos’ numbers might be a bit inflated by playing some of the league’s bottom-10 offenses, including the Titans, Raiders, and Bears.
"It's a lot of fun when you dominate."
Our defense reacts to our first shutout win since 2017? pic.twitter.com/En9TvrGiR8
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 14, 2019
With that said, the Chiefs’ offensive numbers have been buoyed a bit by playing weak defenses; two of their 30-plus-point outputs this season came against the Jaguars and Ravens, who rank 28th and 22nd in Defensive DVOA, respectively.
Neither the Chiefs’ offense nor the Broncos’ defense has faced as formidable of an opponent as it will Thursday.
The #Broncos defense is 4th in the NFL against the pass. But they haven't faced anyone like Mahomes this season. Here's what they're banking on for success. #nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/gOfuc56Uzx
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 16, 2019
Decision Time
Mahomes, the reigning MVP, is a difficult person to bet against. His skill set is unmatched in the NFL, and the fact he is practicing in full is a very good sign. The Chiefs have also won seven in a row against the Broncos.
As for the over/under, this goes back to the offense vs. defense debate. The Chiefs have been over four out of six games, while the Broncos have been under in four out of six. So, whichever team you are leaning toward, you’ll want to follow suit on your over/under selection.
Picks: Chiefs -3.0 (-110); over 48.5 (-105)
Jordan Horrobin is a sports journalist whose MLB, NHL, NFL and NCAA work has appeared in outlets such as The Athletic, MLB.com, the Detroit Free Press and more. He is currently based in Toronto, also working as a contributor for Forbes.com and a freelance editor for Sportsnet.
