Tonight, three football games will air on national television, delivering a trio of betting opportunities to online gamblers. Here’s our take on all three matchups
Thursday Night NFL Betting
At 7:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime, the Denver Broncos travel to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Kansas City Chiefs. KC would be the top seed in the AFC if the NFL Playoffs started today, and they are the betting favorite to earn a trip to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The Broncos are struggling for answers after compiling a 1-4 record through five weeks of play. Quarterback Russell Wilson has shown no signs of improvement over last season’s measly performance.
Denver’s defense has also been remarkably atrocious. They allowed 70 points against the Miami Dolphins, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is in the hot seat.
Online NFL sportsbooks are favoring the Chiefs by ten or more points at home.
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
- Point Spread – Broncos +10.5, Chiefs -10.5
- Moneyline – Broncos +460, Chiefs -600
- Over/Under: 47.0
With such a large point spread on the board, we’re not comfortable laying any action on the Chiefs to cover. Instead, we’re betting on the over, which is currently set at 47 total points.
Thursday Night College Football Betting
Kickoff for the first college football game of the evening will be at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports. The West Virginia Mountaineers are 2-0 in the Big 12, with the only other remaining unbeaten team in the conference being the fifth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
This grants the Mountaineers an outside shot at the CFP if they can win out.
West Virginia Mountaineers at Houston Cougars
- Point Spread – West Virginia -2.5, Houston +2.5
- Moneyline – West Virginia -143, Houston +123
- Over/Under – 49.0
While none of the four NCAAF programs that are competing tonight are ranked in the AP Top 25, West Virginia did receive a respectable 26 votes. Legal college football betting sites are favoring them by -2.5 against the Cougars.
Houston is 0-2 in the Big 12 and has a chance to play spoiler tonight. We don’t believe they’ll do so, and our staff is betting on the Mountaineers to cover.
SMU Mustangs at East Carolina Pirates
- Point Spread – SMU -11.0, East Carolina +11.0
- Moneyline – SMU -420, East Carolina +340
- Over/Under – 50.5
At 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, The SMU Mustangs and East Carolina Pirates kick off. The Mustangs are 3-2 and favored to beat the 1-4 Pirates by 11 points. If the Mustangs win, they’ll climb to 2-0 in the American Athletic Conference and remain in the hunt for the conference championship.
This is the last season that SMU will be a part of the AAC as they are scheduled to begin play in the ACC beginning in 2024. We think oddsmakers have this one nailed on the head, so we’re not comfortable on either side of this spread.