Patriots vs. Broncos final score prediction for Sunday Night Football in Week 16
The New England Patriots have nothing left to play for but pride at this point of the season and the Denver Broncos need a lot to go right in the final three weeks to have a shot at the postseason.
With that being said, it's Sunday Night Football on Christmas Eve so we're not only going to watch this AFC matchup, we're going to bet on it as well. If you want to find out my best bet for the game, head on over to this week's edition of the "Road to 272 Bets."
I'm going to take things one step further as well and attempt to predict the exact final score of this game. This is hard enough to do normally, but how do I evaluate two teams who have little to play for?
Let's take a look at the latest odds for the game and then I'll break down my final score prediction.
Patriots vs. Broncos odds, spread, and total
Patriots score prediction
If you read this week's "Road to 272 Bets". then you know that the Patriots are my upset pick of the week. Not only do I think they cover this touchdown spread, but I think they have a strong chance of winning this game outright.
This matchup comes down to the run game for both teams, but it's the Patriots who have the far superior ability to stop their opponents from doing that. The Patriots rank first in opponent rush EPA, opponent success rate, and opponent yards per carry, while the Broncos give up 5.2 yards per rush, the worst mark in the NFL.
So, if I think the Patriots win the game, what about the total?
Based on how often these two teams run the ball, I think it's going to be a low-scoring affair. Even though I think the Patriots will win this game, I don't think it'll be done by scoring a plethora of points. Instead, I imagine an old-school style of football where both teams run the football, play good defense, and try to grind out a win.
Final score prediction: Patriots 17, Broncos 9
If you agree with me, you can place your bet over at Caesars Sportsbook. If you click the link below to sign up for an account, Caesars will cover your first bet for you, up to $1,000!
Bet on the Patriots at Caesars today!
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!