NFL Football
2026-01-04 - Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NFL Week 18
Sunday 4th January 2025 - Scheduled 4:25pm
9:25pm (British Time)
Preview
They battled through injuries and came very close to winning in Week 17, which would have given the Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) real motivation to end the regular season on a high.
If they had fought back and beaten the Houston Texans, the Los Angeles Chargers would have been looking to win the AFC West, but the defeat came a couple of days after the Denver Broncos (13-3) had won on Christmas Day.
Both of those results mean the Denver Broncos have won the Division, but Sean Payton's team still need another victory to secure the top Seed in the Conference. They are playing after a mini-Bye and the focus has been on the Los Angeles backups after it was announced that Justin Herbert and a host of starters would not be suiting up.
Technically the Chargers are still fighting for Seeding as they can finish anywhere between the Number 5 and Number 7 spot, but there is also a real feeling that health means much more to them in January than the final Seed. No matter where they finish, the Chargers know they cannot be competitive without getting some of their key players prepared and that is the focus, which leaves them vulnerable to this Divisional rival.
It may not be what the New England Patriots or Jacksonville Jaguars want to hear, but the Chargers have to do what is right for them and one of those two teams can earn 'revenge' when they are likely hosting Los Angeles in the Wild Card Round.
That does mean the Denver Broncos winning this game and it has been made clear to the players that they have to focus if they are going to secure the top Seed in the Conference. Even when the chips seem to be in hand, the Broncos have struggled for consistency and they made heavy weather of beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17.
Bo Nix and company should be able to move the ball with some consistency against a team that will be a shell of the usual level of player that they will send out onto the field.
The Broncos can run the ball with some success and Nix will be throwing against a Secondary that will have some issues stopping the pass. This is a chance for Denver to show that they have an Offensive unit capable of backing up a strong Defensive unit, which is going to be the key to any deep Playoff run.
They are not exactly a unit that you would trust, but the Denver Broncos could make some big plays on the other side of the ball to set up some short fields.
Trey Lance has not lived up to his billing when being Drafted into the NFL and the Quarter Back has a challenging task in front of him, especially with the Offensive Line ravaged by injury and skill Offensive players sitting out.
Even in normal circumstances, the Chargers would know how hard they would have to work to run the ball with any consistency against this Denver Defensive Line, while the banged up Offensive Line has not been able to keep the pass rush out of the backfield. All of that should be on show in this Week 18 game that means so much more to the hosts than the Los Angeles Chargers and it is going to be very hard for Trey Lance to change the narrative.
There is a chance that Lance will show off some of his talent with the Broncos perhaps a little unsure what to expect, but they can also force a couple of mistakes and this should see Denver eventually pull away for a big win.
As mentioned, the Broncos have not exactly been a team that have looked as strong as the record would suggest, but they are rested, prepared and highly motivated and those can all be factors that lead to a solid win for Denver.
Prediction
Look for the home team to win big in their bid to secure the Number 1 Seed in the AFC.
The Pick :
Denver Broncos 28-13 Los Angeles Chargers
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Denver Broncos - 13.5 Points at -115 with Bookmaker.EU
