Los Angeles Chargers vs Denver Broncos Prediction, Odds and Picks for Sunday, 01/04/26

It’s not the flashiest game on the NFL Week 18 slate, but Sunday’s matchup between the Chargers and Broncos has the potential to be a pivotal game within the AFC playoff picture. After all, Denver is chasing after the top seed in the conference heading into the postseason, while the Chargers are projected to be the #7 seed in the AFC is all of the favorites take care of business this weekend. Despite the fact that this is a game where I should be looking to back the underdog given how Los Angeles likes to play, and the fact that this total is well below 40, I just can’t get there with the Chargers when considering their injuries and availability report this week.

The spot certainly favors Denver on paper, as the Broncos defense will be able to pint its ears back and get after the quarterback in front of a raucous home crowd. Most importantly, Los Angeles has elected to sit the banged-up Justin Herbert in this game, which immediately puts the Chargers offense at a massive disadvantage against one of the best defenses in the sport. Without Herbert, it’s hard to see the Chargers moving the ball at all through the air on Sunday. With that in mind, Jim Harbaugh’s team should look to keep the ball on the ground and try to grind this one out in a game that should be played in the mid-to-high 30s. However, even when taking the low total into consideration, it’s hard to see Los Angeles staying relatively close to Denver for all four quarters in this one. I’ll lay the points with Bo Nix and the Broncos. 

Chargers vs Broncos prediction: Broncos -12.5 available at time of publishing. Playable to 13.

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