Among the four late-afternoon NFL betting games in Week 8 is an intriguing cross-conference matchup between the Washington Football Team and Denver Broncos. While both sides began the year off with high hopes and playoff aspirations, the first seven weeks have hardly gone as planned. One common denominator between the two has been their underperforming defenses. Only one side will be able to get back on track with a win this Sunday. The NFL betting odds have named the home team a small favorite for this Washington vs Broncos contest.
The following Washington vs Broncos NFL betting preview will give you the current odds, betting trends and picks for the Week 8 matchup, along with a stream link to watch games all season long.
Washington vs Broncos Week 8 NFL Betting Preview
NFL Regular Season — Week 8 Game
Washington Football Team (2-5, 1-2 Away) vs. Denver Broncos (3-4, 1-2 Home)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021
Time: 4:25 p.m. EST
Venue: Empower Field at Mile High — Denver, CO
Coverage: Click here for the stream
Washington Football Team Preview
Before the season started, many NFL betting analysts were calling Washington’s defense one of the best in football. Through seven games, however, the unit ranks dead last in points allowed and 28th in adjusted efficiency. The vaunted defensive front, headlined by pass-rushing ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat, simply has not been able to get home to opposing QBs fast enough. This has led to a mediocre secondary allowing yards and points through the air in bunches. Perhaps Washington can finally correct some things this week against a lackluster Broncos’ passing attack.
Of course, the Football Team was dealt another blow right out of the gates this season when starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, went down with a hip injury. While he is slowly getting closer to returning, Taylor Heinicke has done a nice job filling in. Against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, he completed 25 of 37 passes for over 260 yards and a score. Wideout Terry McLaurin had a monster game with seven catches for 122 yards and a score. Heinicke also was Washington’s leading rusher with 95 yards on the ground. The Football Team’s failure to finish off drives last week was the main reason why they took the loss. They outgained the Packers by over 120 yards but got stopped on downs in the red zone multiple times.
Denver Broncos Preview
The Broncos’ 3-0 start to the season feels like a whole lifetime ago. Most recently, Denver struggled on both sides of the ball in a three-point loss to an undermanned Cleveland Browns team. Not only have the Broncos now lost four straight but they have also failed to cover the NFL betting spread in four of their last five. There have actually been grumblings for a switch to Drew Lock at quarterback after Teddy Bridgewater struggled mightily yet again last Thursday. He finished with just 187 yards passing and threw another pick. The Broncos’ offensive line has also struggled to consistently open running lanes. The backfield duo of Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams finished with just 38 rushing yards combined last week.
Denver figures to get a boost offensively this week with second-year wideout Jerry Jeudy set to return from an injury. However, he and Courtland Sutton can only produce if Bridgewater gets them the ball. Defensively, the Broncos’ effort against Cleveland last Thursday was rather embarrassing. They had no answers for the ground game whatsoever. This came a week after giving up numerous big plays to the Las Vegas Raiders in a blowout loss as NFL betting favorites. Making matters worse, veteran linebacker Von Miller is dealing with an ankle injury and has yet to practice this week at the time of writing. Vic Fangio’s highly-hyped defense ranks just 26th in adjusted efficiency entering this Week 8 matchup.
Washington vs Broncos Odds and Spread
NFL betting odds for Washington vs Broncos are taken from BetMGM Sportsbook.
Moneyline: WAS: (+135) | DEN: (-160)
Spread: WAS: +3 (-105) | DEN: -3 (-115)
Total: 44.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages via Action Network: WAS: (52%) | DEN: (48%)
Washington vs Broncos NFL Betting Trends
- Football Team is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven games.
- Four of the Football Team’s last six games have gone over the total.
- Broncos are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games.
- Five of the Broncos’ last seven games have gone under the total.
- Football Team is 4-1 ATS in its last five head-to-head matchups against the Broncos.
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Washington vs Broncos Stats
- Washington is averaging 20.9 points per game (PPG) this season (T-No. 22 in the NFL).
- Washington is surrendering 30.0 PPG this season (No. 32 in the NFL).
- Denver is averaging 20.0 PPG this season (No. 24 in the NFL).
- Denver is surrendering 18.1 PPG this season (No. 4 in the NFL).
Washington vs Broncos Prediction
The Washington vs Broncos NFL betting prediction uses the ESPN Football Power Index.
Washington: 30.7%
Broncos: 69.0%
Tie: 0.2%
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