With the Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) opening as 3.5-point favorites over the Denver Broncos (4-12) in week 18 of the 2022 NFL season, momentum is on their side. The Chargers are riding a 4-game win streak and looking to secure the 5-seed in the playoffs, starting with a potential matchup against whichever team wins the AFC South.
Meanwhile, it’s been a rough ride for Denver. They’ve had to make do with an interim head coach after firing Nathanial Hackett during his first season as head coach, though they put up a close battle against reigning Super Bowl contender Kansas City Chiefs last week.
Chargers Coach Brandon Staley states that they are taking this game as a must-win game.
“Our approach is going to be to try to win this ballgame and try to play as well as we can heading into the playoffs.”
“There’s certainly an advantage to being the five seed from where I stand,” he added.
That said, for a few years now Denver has done well when facing off against the Chargers, particularly when playing in their backyard. With just one game of the regular-season left, this could be another close match that could end up redefining both teams’ playoff journey’s come January.
Chargers at Broncos Week 18 Odds/Game lines
| Via DraftKings Sportsbook | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| LA Chargers | -3.5 (-105) | -175 | Over 40.5 (-110) |
| DEN Broncos | +3.5 (-115) | +150 | Under 40.5 (-110) |
| Via FanDuel Sportsbook | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| LA Chargers | -3 (-118) | -172 | Over 40 (-110) |
| DEN Broncos | +3 (-104) | +144 | Under 40 (-110) |
NFL odds may change depending on news updates and you may find more betting markets as you visit Colorado online sportsbooks.
NFL Week 18 Preview: Chargers @ Broncos
On Sunday, the Chargers need to earn a victory over the Denver Broncos to secure fifth place for the regular season. As things currently stand, Los Angeles is fifth due to their triumph over the Rams and Baltimore’s loss to Pittsburgh.
Sunday is their chance to remain in this position, a spot that would match them up with either the Jaguars or Titans on wild-card weekend if they win. But, despite being 4-12 overall, Denver did give division leader Kansas City a tough challenge last week before eventually falling 27-24 – and they had previously put up 16 points during their first meeting with L.A., who had won 19-16 in overtime back in November.
Now, the Chargers must face arguably the most important match of their campaign if they want to remain in a comfortable spot, ending the 2022-2023 season with much-needed separation from Baltimore.
Despite being determined to win in Week 18, the Chargers may be resting some players as per Coach Stanley’s statement:
“If we feel like that would be a good decision, we’ll take that case-by-case. Going into the playoffs, you’ve got to be playing [well] to get where you want to go, so we’re going to maximize our group heading into the playoffs, for sure.”