Week Six of the NFL football season concludes on Monday night with the Los Angeles Chargers (3-2, 1-1 home) hosting the Denver Broncos (2-3, 0-2 away) in an AFC West showdown. Los Angeles comes in winning its last two contests, while the Broncos hope to break a two-game losing skid.
The kickoff of the divisional tilt is at 8:15 EST inside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Chargers are a 4.5-point favorite, and the over/under total is 45.5 points.
What to Know – Denver Broncos
The Broncos have lost three games this season, all by single digits. Denver’s major issue has been a lack of offense, as new starting quarterback Russell Wilson has not looked like the nine-time Pro Bowler he was in Seattle. Denver sits in third place in the AFC West.
The 33-year-old Wilson is struggling to get things going, hitting only 59.4 percent of his targets and throwing just four touchdowns to three interceptions. He has thrown for 1,254 yards and added a touchdown on the ground.
Denver’s rushing game was dealt a blow with the season-ending injury to starting running back Javonte Williams. The starting duties have been turned over to veteran rusher Melvin Gordon III and Mike Boone. Gordon has carried the ball 52 times for 193 yards and one touchdown this season.
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been Wilson’s favorite target in the passing game, receiving 46 targets and hauling in 29 receptions for 417 yards and one TD. On the other side, Jerry Jeudy is a compliment to Sutton, adding 14 catches, 236 yards, and two scores.
What to Know – Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles looks to run its winning streak to three games and separate itself even further from the Broncos in the conference standings. With a victory on Monday, the Chargers will sit atop the AFC West in a tie with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Justin Herbert continues to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. The former Oregon Duck paces the Chargers’ offense with 1,478 yards and ten touchdowns through the air. He’s completing 66.5% of his throws and only two interceptions.
After a slow start, all-purpose running back Austin Ekler has found his footing over the last two games, finding the endzone in both contests. Last week, Ekler carried the ball 16 times for a season-high 173 yards. Ekler leads the team with 31 receptions, tallying 214 yards and two touchdowns.
Wide receiver Mike Williams leads the receiving core catching 28 of 44 targets for 392 yards and a pair of TDs. Los Angeles has been without the services of starting wideout Keenan Allen for all but one game, and he won’t suit up Monday night.
The Pick is In
Even with a rough start offensively, the Broncos have a chance Monday night to move their record to 3-3. Denver’s defense has kept the team in games, and we see the unit doing it again on Monday. Los Angeles wins, but it is close throughout.
The Pick: Denver Broncos +4.5
