With a win in Week 18 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Denver Broncos will earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. There’s some good news for them, too: The Chargers plan to rest their starters, making this an even more winnable contest. Let’s check out this Sunday afternoon edition of the NFL in more detail below. Broncos vs Chargers best betsBo Nix Under 212.5 Passing Yards – 17/20 with BetMGMTrey Lance Over 169.5 Passing Yards- 17/20 with Paddy PowerBo Nix Under 1.5 Passing TDs – 4/6 with Sky BetBy all accounts, the Broncos plan to rest their starters in this game. After all, with a win, they’ll receive a wild-card round bye week, which is the equivalent of what teams are bound for the wild-card round, treating Week 18 as in most circumstances. The Broncos have been an intriguing team this season. They’re 13-3, but they’re 11-2 in one-score games and coming off a 20-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That would be impressive if it were Patrick Mahomes under centre, but it wasn’t. In fact, it wasn’t even their backup, Gardner Minshew, as both of them have torn ACLs. Instead, it was third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun who had just 66 passing yards. As for the Chargers, resting starters makes sense here. Their quarterback, Justin Herbert, had surgery on his wrist (non-throwing) about a month ago, so giving him a rest before the playoffs, where they’re more than likely to be the No. 7 seed after resting their starters. If that’s the case and this game ends with a Broncos win, there’s a very real chance the Chargers are on the road in the wild-card round against the New England Patriots. What would the lineup look like with backups? Well, expect a heavy dose of Trey Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick, under centre, along with players like running back Jaret Patterson, wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and many others. In all honesty, the mix of players we’ll see is a bit of a mystery, other than Lance.Find more great offers at our best rated NFL betting sites.Broncos vs Chargers previewWhile the immediate knee-jerk reaction in a game like this is to take the team playing their starters no matter what, I’m actually not as convinced. The Broncos simply need to win the game. They don’t need to score a specific number of points. I point that out because we could very well end up in a situation where the Broncos are up by 10 or so later in the game, and then they decide to pull their starters when the game is out of reach, allowing for a cover. Additionally, the Broncos’ offence really isn’t one to bank on blowing out an opponent. Sure, this will be backups, but the Broncos are averaging 23.9 points per game (14th) and have an average scoring margin of +4.6 (8th). As for their Chargers, they’re at a +2.8 scoring margin (12th) while averaging 22.8 points per outing (17th).Lance has been, by all accounts, a bust in the NFL. However, in Week 18 last year, in a start for the Dallas Cowboys, he completed 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards and ran for 26 yards. The Cowboys lost, but the final score was 23-19. I don’t think this is a situation as we have seen with other backups, where you question how the quarterback even has a job in the NFL. Lance has some pedigree, and a 23-13 final, for example, is more than plausible. Take the points despite the circumstances.Broncos vs Chargers tipsFind the latest odds for the Denver Broncos vs. the Los Angeles Chargers courtesy of BetMGM. Odds are subject to change.SpreadOddsDenver Broncos -12.5 10/11Los Angeles Chargers +12.510/11Total PointsOddsOver 37.510/11Under 37.522/25Given that the Chargers are playing their backups while the Broncos will play their starters for the entire game, the spread makes sense. Still, that doesn’t change my analysis above. The Broncos simply don’t blow teams out, and even though they’re facing backups, I think they’ll try to drain the clock and get the win while limiting potential injury ahead of a playoff run.Bo Nix Under 212.5 Passing YardsThis season, Nix has finished with 212 passing yards or fewer in half of his games, including two of his last four. Last week, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he attempted 38 passes, but still finished with 182 yards. Now, it does get somewhat complicated, as the Chargers are playing their backups. However, I believe this will result in Nix not needing to throw as much, which makes sense because, sure, they’ll lock up the No. 1 seed with a win and have a bye, but you still want to get out of this game as unscathed as possible. The Chargers allow 197.81 passing yards per game—again, yes, that’s based on their starters—but that also speaks to their defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter. Tip Bo Nix to throw for 212 yards or fewer against the Chargers at 17/20 with BetMGM Trey Lance Over 169.5 Passing YardsAs mentioned, last year in Week 18 for the Cowboys, Lance threw for 244 yards on 34 pass attempts. The point of getting Lance in this game will be for him to throw the ball because, in the event he shows some promise, he’ll either be a valuable backup for the Chargers to keep, he’ll enhance his value, or the Chargers can do something creative to be able to trade him after the season. The Broncos aren’t planning to rest their starter, and with that, they’re massive favourites, which will put Lance in a position to have to throw the ball. This is a more than doable line for Lance to cross. Back Trey Lance to have 170 passing yards or more against the Broncos at 17/20 with Paddy Power Bo Nix Under 1.5 Passing TDsA lot of my analysis for this prop bet goes back to the narrative I conjured above. I’m not sure how much the Broncos will need him to throw. Not only that, but Nix has one passing touchdown or fewer in 10 of 16 games this season. Over his last seven games, he’s thrown more than one touchdown in a game just once. Take the under. Tip Bo Nix to have 1 passing touchdown or fewer against the Chargers at 13/20 with Sky Bet Broncos vs Chargers injury reportBelow are the key injuries to report ahead of the action.Denver BroncosOut: Darnell Washington (tight end) – broken armQuestionable: Nate Adkins (tight end) – knee; Pat Bryant (wide receiver) – concussion; John Franklin-Myers (defensive lineman) – hip; Dre Greenlaw (linebacker) – hamstring.Los Angeles ChargersThe Chargers’ injury report is somewhat complicated in that, while it’s unclear exactly who, the team plans to sit its starters for this game. Broncos vs Chargers game infoDate: Sunday 4th JanuaryTime: 9:25pm GMTVenue: Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, ColoradoWhere to watch: Check local listingsAbout the authorRichard JanvrinRichard Janvrin brings nearly a decade of experience covering sports, sports betting, and everything iGaming. Richard received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism/English from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout his career, Richard has written for sites like Bleacher Report, Forbes, The Game Day, WSN, Gambling.com, and many more.Find him on Twitter: @RichardJanvrinCommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. 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