Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Preseason will conclude with a doubleheader on the NFL Network on Sunday. The first game will feature the Denver Broncos traveling to Indianapolis, Indiana, to face the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The game will kick off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday afternoon.
In Sean Payton's first season, the Denver Broncos underperformed, as they finished the season in 8-9 and in 3rd place in the AFC West. The Broncos moved on from Russell Wilson in the offseason, with Wilson never living up to the same level of success as he had with the Seattle Seahawks. Denver never made the playoffs with Russell Wilson as the starter and never had a winning season with Wilson as the starter, as they finished with a record of 5-12 in his first season and 8-9 in his 2nd season.
The Broncos lost five of their first six games last season before going on a five-game winning streak to improve their record to 6-5 but would then lose four of their final six games. Denver drafted Bo Nix with their 1st round pick and will have a quarterback battle for most of the 2024 NFL preseason as Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson will all battle it out for the starting quarterback position this season. The Broncos were 6-10-1 ATS overall and 2-5-1 ATS on the road last season.
The Indianapolis Colts were one of the more inconsistent teams in the NFL last season. They started off the season 3-2 and then went on a three-game losing streak before going on a four-game winning streak before finishing the season losing three of their final five games.
The Colts will get Anthony Richardson back after he missed the majority of last year's season. They added solid depth behind him after signing Joe Flacco in the offseason. The offense will also get an upgrade, as Jonathan Taylor will be two seasons removed from the injury he suffered in the 2022 NFL season.
The Colts could be a sleeper team in the AFC South this season, but it also depends on key offensive pieces staying healthy. Based on Vegas odds, they are projected to finish in third place in the AFC South, as they are +250 to win the division. Indianapolis finished the regular season with a record of 9-8 ATS overall, which included going 4-5 ATS at home.
The teams have not played in the regular season since the 2022 NFL season, which resulted in a 12-9 win on the road for the Indianapolis Colts. This was their second win in a row in the series, with the Colts having also won seven of the previous ten games against the Denver Broncos. The Colts have only covered the spread once in the last four games in the series but have covered the spread in seven of the last ten games against the Broncos.
The Colts have dominated the series against the Broncos, winning seven of the last ten and two of the previous three matchups while winning by an average margin of 1.8 points per game in the previous ten. Indianapolis has also covered the spread in seven of the last ten and nine of the previous 12 games in the series. Take the moneyline for the Indianapolis Colts when they host the Denver Broncos in week 1 of the NFL Preseason on Sunday afternoon.
