Last season Recap
Last season, NFL betting fans were able to regain their confidence in the Denver Broncos. After bowing out of the playoffs in the Divisional round in 2014 – the third time in four years – the Broncos finished the regular season with a 12-4 record, securing their fifth-consecutive AFC West division title, fourth consecutive first-round bye, and the AFC’s number one playoff seed. Denver brought their sack lunch to the postseason, dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers, beating then-reigning champions New England Patriots, and defeating the Carolina Panthers on their way to their third Super Bowl title.
What’s new?
Thus, the Denver Broncos enter the 2016 season – their 47th in the league – as the defending Super Bowl Champions and the favorite of many people who bet on NFL, with odds of +1925 of winning Super Bowl 51. This will be coach Gary Kubiak’s second season with the team, but that’s only one of a few things that remained constant. Legendary QB Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset, and his backup of four years Brock Osweiler signed with the Houston Texans. Denver traded a 2017 conditional draft pick to the Phildelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Mark Sanchez, and picked QB Paxton Lynch. Those two and Trevor Siemian are engaged in a three-way battle for the starting QB spot, which according to some NFL betting experts Sanchez is winning. The other big offseason story is Super Bowl MVP Von Miller’s contractual woes, which sometimes play out more like a lovers’ quarrel – what with Miller cropping John Elway out of a photo – and take serious turns the next moment, such as the possibility that the line backer might sit out the 2016 season altogether.
What to expect this 2016 football season
Denver Broncos fans who bet on NFL at a sportsbook could conceivably expect the team to reach the Super Bowl again – after all, they share the record for most Super Bowl appearances with the Cowboys, Patriots, and Steelers – but could NFL betting fans expect them to win it again? They are not strangers to winning consecutive Super Bowls – they did it in 1997 and 1998. However, when that happened Peyton Manning was a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts; ergo, it was 18 years ago. And the last back-to-back were the Patriots in 2004, 12 years ago. But speaking of Manning, the Broncos should not have too much trouble adapting to his absence. He missed six games as a result of a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot, and had his worst season since his aforementioned rookie year – statistically speaking, of course; he could always deliver when required. All things considered, the Broncos are out one of the greatest quarterbacks in history – and let his back-up go too, which is like commissioner Gordon letting Robin leave for Metropolis after Batman has retired – and could be out one Super Bowl MVP, who could effectively hold them hostage if they don’t meet his demands. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Broncos almost but not quite made it next season.
