It’s been a masterfully orchestrated NFL slow schedule drip over the last few weeks.
But the Denver Broncos’ entire 2022 schedule was released en masse Thursday evening.
For Broncos Country and Colorado sports betting enthusiasts, there’s a lot to get excited about:
- Monday night’s opener in Seattle vs. new QB Russell Wilson’s ex-mates
- A league-maximum five prime-time games in all, including a Week 14 Sunday night home game against the Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver’s second international regular season game: An Oct. 30 date with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London
- A Christmas afternoon contest against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams
- Week 18’s possibly crucial regular season finale against the L.A. Chargers in Denver.
DraftKings Colorado Sportsbook has posted early lines on all the NFL regular season games.
And the early DK pointspreads have the Broncos favored in nine games and listed as underdogs in four contests. The remaining four Denver games have opened as pick ’em contests.
Check out the schedule and pointspreads on our Broncos betting page.
Following is game-by-game look at the Orange and Blue’s upcoming itinerary, replete with an early betting angle.
Let’s Ride, indeed …
Week 1 at Seattle Seahawks
When: 6:15 p.m., Sept. 12 (ABC, ESPN)
Where: Lumen Field, Seattle
Betting angle of note: No pressure, but Wilson should feel right at home in the Pacific Northwest opener. The veteran QB is an impressive 62–22 (.738) in 84 career starts in Seattle — including 5-1 in the postseason. In those contests, he thrown 165 touchdown passes and only 40 interceptions.
Week 2 vs. Houston Texans
When: 2:25 p.m., Sept. 18 (CBS)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: It will be the Mile High regular season head coaching debut for new Broncos boss Nathaniel Hackett. And that portends good things for the former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Since the 1970 merger, first-year Broncos head coaches are 8-2 in their home openers. The only two losses belong to the recently fired Vic Fangio (2019) and John Fox (2011).
Week 3 vs. San Francisco 49ers
When: 6:20 p.m., Sept. 25 (NBC)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: Traditionally one of the league’s most formidable home teams, Denver has been in a Mile High funk of late. The Broncos are only 18-23 (.439) in Denver since 2017 — tied for the ninth-worst home winning percentage in the league over that span.
Week 4 at Las Vegas Raiders
When: 2:25 p.m., Oct. 2 (CBS)
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Betting angle of note: Since the start of the 2018 season, the Broncos are 2-6 straight up and 1-7 against the spread vs. the hated Raiders. Vegas has won four straight in the series.
Week 5 vs. Indianapolis Colts
When: 6:15 p.m., Oct. 6 (Amazon Prime)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: It’s a Tussle of Horses on Thursday Night Football. The Broncos are 11-4 in Thursday games since 2008, but two of those losses have come in the last three seasons.
Week 6 at Los Angeles Chargers
When: 6:15 p.m., Oct. 17 (ESPN)
Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Betting angle of note: Denver goes from Thursday Night Football to its second Monday night tilt of the season. The Broncos enter 2022 with a five-game MNF losing streak with their last Monday victory coming in the 2017 season opener against, ironically, the Bolts.
Week 7 vs. New York Jets
When: 2:05 p.m, Oct. 23 (CBS)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: These two original American Football League rivals own the league’s longest two current droughts without a postseason berth. The Broncos haven’t been to the playoffs since their Super Bowl-winning season of 2015. Meanwhile, it’s been since 2010 for the Jets.
Week 8 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
When: 7:15 a.m., Oct. 30 (ESPN Plus)
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
Betting angle of note: While this will be only is the Broncos’ second game in the U.K. and first since 2010 (a 24-16 loss to the 49ers), it will be the league-leading ninth English match for the Jags. Jacksonville is 4-4 all-time across the pond.
Week 9: Bye week
Betting angle of note: Denver’s bye comes at a perfect time, following the venture across the Atlantic and almost at the midpoint of the season, eight games into the 17-contest campaign.
Week 10 at Tennessee Titans
When: 11 a.m., Nov. 13 (CBS)
Where: Nissan Stadium; Nashville, Tenn.
Betting angle of note: This is one of four 11 a.m. (MT) road kickoffs for the Broncos on the season. And that’s a good thing for the Orange & Blue. Denver owns a 9-16 record in 11 a.m. road games since 2016 but has won three of its last four.
Week 11 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
When: 2:05 p.m., Nov. 20 (FOX)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: This contest will be the Broncos’ only home game in the whopping 48-day span from Oct. 23 to Dec. 10. That, coupled with it being an AFC West tilt, multiplies the must-win pressure.
Week 12 at Carolina Panthers
When: 11 a.m., Nov. 27 (FOX)
Where: Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, N.C.
Betting angle of note: This 1,338-mile trip is one of the longer trips on Denver’s schedule. In all, the Broncos will travel 27,398 miles, crossing 32 times zones, for their nine road dates this season. That total is the second-highest in the league, exceeded only by the Seahawks’ 29,446 miles (34 time zones).
Week 13 at Baltimore Ravens
When: 11 a.m., Dec. 4 (CBS)
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Betting angle of note: The Broncos haven’t enjoyed much success in Baltimore. In fact, Denver is 1-6 vs. the Ravens in Baltimore, including a 21-3 wild-card playoff loss in 2000. Peyton Manning has led the Broncos to their only road win over the Ravens — a 34-17 triumph in Week 15 of the 2012 season.
Week 14 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
When: 6:20 p.m., Dec. 11 (NBC)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting numbers of note: Will this late-season Sunday night home game have AFC West or postseason implications? Regardless, the Broncos have infamously dropped 13 straight games to the Chiefs, dating back through Week 10 of the 2015 season. Let’s see if Wilson can help snap the skid.
Week 15 vs. Arizona Cardinals
When: 2:05 p.m., Dec. 18 (FOX)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: Wilson is 11-8-1 as a starter against the Cards, his former NFC West rival. In those 20 games, Wilson has tossed 32 TD passes to only nine interceptions.
Week 16 at Los Angeles Rams
When: 2:30 p.m., Dec. 25 (CBS, Nickelodeon)
Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Betting angle of note: The Broncos are 2-1 all-time on Christmas Day. They defeated the Detroit Lions 17-7 in 1999 and the Titans 37-16 in 2004 while losing to the Chiefs (of course) 33-10 in 2016.
Week 17 at Kansas City Chiefs
When: 11 a.m., Jan. 1 (CBS)
Where: Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City Mo.
Betting angle of note: The Broncos are a frigid 3-22 in December road games in K.C. But in January? Try 1-0 — a memorable John Elway-led 14-10 divisional-round playoff win in 1998.
Week 18 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
When: Jan. 7 or 8 (TBD)
Where: Empower Field at Mile High
Betting angle of note: This will mark the 13th time in the last 14 seasons Denver has wrapped up the regular season with an AFC West home game. In the previous 12, though, the Broncos are only 5-7, including a 1-4 mark over the last five seasons.
