Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
NFL odds: Chargers -3.5 

The Denver Broncos have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. They are 5-0, which seems like a wild dream for Josh McDaniels and company given how tumultuous their offseason was. The Broncos are coming off a big, emotional win against the New England Patriots, which opened up some eyes in the NFL. Considering the Patriots won 59-0 this weekend, the fact that Denver beat them last week adds some credibility.

The Broncos have been doing their damage on both sides of the ball. On offense, much maligned quarterback Kyle Orton has been playing smart football for basically the first time in his career. Orton has been limiting his turnovers and just making the right throws to move the chains. In the backfield, runners Knowshon Moreno and Correl Buckhalter have been fantastic making big plays. Both runners have exceeded expectations and considering they are running behind one of the best offensive lines in the leagues, it’s fairly easy for them to find yardage.

Regardless of what the Broncos have accomplished this season, this will be their biggest challenge to start the year. The San Diego Chargers their biggest division rival and they are the team to beat in the division, even though they have a three-game lead. The Chargers are coming off a bye week and they are going to be focused. This is a must-win for them and they can bite into the Broncos lead and eventually get level. If they lose, they will be four games back without the head-to-head tiebreaker. Look for a concentrated effort from San Diego and they should be ready for a big home win.

Racebook Picks: Chargers -3.5

Broncos/Chargers Total

Online betting O/U: 44.5

It’s hard to gauge how good the Broncos offense will be and how good the Chargers defense will be. We know that the Broncos have been effective moving the ball this season but most of their good work has been done at home. Let’s not forget that the team barely mustered any points on the road in Cincinnati in Week 1.

Meanwhile, the Chargers defense hasn’t been playing well in the first month of the season, mostly because Shawne Merriman has not been a factor. He’s supposedly healthy now and should be a playmaker in this game.

Betting System Picks: Over 44.5