The Denver Broncos and new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will look to continue their perfect start to the 2021 season as they welcome the New York Jets and No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson to town.
On the back of a strong defense and mistake-first bet offer on offense, Denver's cruised to 2-0 with little resistance. New York, meanwhile, has handed its latest great hope about as brutal of a start to a career as one could fear.
Can Wilson and Gang Green take off at altitude? Keep reading for our free NFL betting Jets vs. Broncos picks and predictions, with kickoff set for September 26.
Jets vs Broncos odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The line opened at Broncos -11.5 but quickly dropped down to -10 early in the week despite a large percentage of action coming in on Denver. The total opened at 42.5 but consistent action on the Under has seen it drop between 42 and 41 at most sportsbooks. Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full NFL odds before placing your bets.
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Jets vs Broncos picks
Picks made on 9/22/2021 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Jets vs Broncos game info
• Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
• Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021
• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Jets at Broncos betting preview
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key injuries
Jets: Tevin Coleman RB (Out), Jamison Crowder WR (Out), Mekhi Becton OT (Out), Lamarcus Joyner S (Out), Ashtyn Davis S (Out), Jarrad Davis LB (Out), Vinny Curry DE (Out), Carl Lawson DE (Out), Denzel Mims WR (Out).
Broncos: Bradley Chubb LG (Out), Josey Jewell LB (Out), Mike Boone RB (Out), Ronald Darby CB (Out), Jerry Jeudy WR (Out), Michael Ojemudia CB (Out).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-1 in the Jets' last six games. Find more NFL betting trends for Jets vs. Broncos.
Jets vs Broncos predictions
Broncos -10 (-115)
Oh, Zach Wilson, you poor soul. Wilson received enough "Welcome to the NFL" moments for an entire draft class last week against the Patriots, as he threw four interceptions and took seven hits and four sacks in a 25-6 loss. Now, Wilson and New York have to turn around and deal with another brutal matchup as they face the Broncos in Denver.
While the Broncos' defense is hardly as stacked as it was several seasons ago under legendary defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, they still boast elite talent along the defensive line and in the secondary. However, it's not the talent that should concern Wilson and the Jets the most.
Above all else, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio's defensive scheme does a tremendous job of disguising pressure looks and complicating communication for the opposing offensive line. Bronco defenders will creep up to the line or sugar gaps only to bail into coverage, or rush on a delayed blitz and come in untouched. A week after taking on New England, Wilson will be seeing ghosts in Denver.
With neither side of the ball for the Jets a threat to the Broncos, it just comes down to whether or not Teddy Bridgewater and Denver's offense can do enough to cover the 10-point spread. Bridgewater has done far more than just manage games through two weeks, as he has come out of the gate playing some of the best football of his career.
Completing 77.1 percent of his passes on 8.5 yards per attempt and no turnovers, Bridgewater is operating Denver's offense with his typical efficiency but he has taken to Pat Shurmur's offense in the same manner that had Case Keenum thriving under Shurmur in 2017 in Minnesota. No quarterback in football has attempted more passes of 20+ yards than Bridgewater, who can continue to thrive against a Jets defense that has already lost its free safety for the year.
After a 2-0 ATS start to the season, Bridgewater is now a ridiculous 38-14 against the spread as a starter in the NFL. With the Broncos' defense giving Wilson all he can handle and Bridgewater doing what he does best, Denver will move to 3-0 ATS and SU on the year.
Under 42 (-110)
Thanks to two straightforward wins in two games out of the gate, our assumptions about Denver's 2021 formula have been confirmed. It all starts with Denver's defense, which has been outstanding to begin the year. The Broncos are in the Top 5 in passing, rushing, and total yards allowed per game while allowing 13 points in each of their first two contests. In turn, for the offense, it's about taking care of the ball and capitalizing when given short fields.
Those ideas have come together brilliantly, with the Broncos undefeated and having covered in each of their games. That has also led to Denver finishing Under totals of 45.0 and 42.0 despite good games for its offense in both weeks. Barring an absolute explosion on offense for the Broncos, we should expect that to continue in contests where Denver's defense can dominate — such as Week 3 against a lost and overwhelmed rookie QB.
Even as believers in the sustainability of Denver's offense through two games, we aren't flinching in going with the Under at mile high on Sunday.
Michael Carter Over 38.5 rushing and receiving yards (-115)
Between the Zach Wilson interceptions and chants of "bust" from the home crowd on Sunday, something pleasant happened to the Jets: they began to play their best running back. After rookie Michael Carter received just 16 snaps and five touches in Week 1, New York turned to the rookie over journeymen Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson in Week 2, with Carter getting 33 snaps (tied with Johnson) and a backfield-high 13 touches.
The versatile tailback averaged 6.7 yards per touch and displayed his elusiveness and big-play ability. As a seamless fit into New York's outside zone running scheme, Carter's workload won't be limited to passing downs and he should continue to receive a chunk of the Jets' carries. In a tough matchup for New York's offense, however, he will benefit from a healthy dose of Wilson check downs, too.
Carter has the ability to be a versatile chess piece in New York's offense and produce on the ground and through the air. With a modest scrimmage yards total on the board in Week 3, we're taking him to go Over.
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