The Denver Broncos (1-2) will look to keep their momentum going into Week 4 of the 2024-25 NFL Season after recording their first win of the year last Sunday afternoon on the road against the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the New York Jets (2-1) aim for their third straight win after a tough Week 1 loss to San Francisco. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 29th at MetLife Stadium.
Not many people were optimistic about the Broncos chances on the road in Tampa Bay last weekend, as the offense was only averaging 13 points per game heading into their Week 3 matchup. Rookie Bo Nix had the best game of his young career, while the tough Denver defense completely shut down an above average Bucs offense en route to a 26-7 win.
New York was in a much different spot last week, as they hosted New England on Thursday Night Football in a matchup they were favored to win by almost a full touchdown. The game was underwhelming from an entertainment standpoint to say the least, as the Jets dominated both sides of the ball en route to a 24-3 victory.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Broncos listed as 7.5-point road underdogs. The spread hasn’t moved at all after early betting, as Denver is currently available at +7.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 40 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised on CBS. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Denver Broncos Trample Buccaneers In Tampa Bay
After quickly dropping back to back games to start September, it looked highly likely that Denver would struggle to win more than a handful of games during the first few months of the season. An impressive double-digit road victory over Tampa Bay appears to have provided a spark of hope, especially when taking into account the strong outing from rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
Nix completed 25 out of 36 total passing attempts for 216 passing yards through the air but was most effective on the ground, rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The backfield trio of Tyler Badie, Javonte Williams, and Jaleel McLaughlin also chipped in, combining for 89 yards and another rushing touchdown. Veteran Courtland Sutton led the way for the receiving corps, making seven catches for 68 yards.
While the Broncos defense has been the backbone of the team over the past several seasons, they really took it up a notch in Week 3 against a stacked Tampa Bay offense. Not only did they hold Chris Godwin and Mike Evans to just 70 receiving yards combined, they also recorded an interception and limited RB Rachaad White to only 2.8 yards per carry.
New York Jets Cruise Past Patriots
It was certainly a relatively stress-free victory for the Jets on Thursday Night Football in Week 3, as New York jumped out to an early 14-3 lead in the first half and never looked back. QB Aaron Rodgers was very efficient, going 27/35 for 281 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also looked pretty mobile on the ground, scrambling for 6.0 yards per carry on three rushing attempts outside of the pocket.
Braelon Allen surprisingly led the way out of the backfield in terms of rushing yardage over Breece Hall, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. TE Tyler Conklin also turned in a strong outing, recording five receptions for a game-high 93 yards. Veteran Allen Lazard continued his resurgent performance to start the season as well, finding the end zone for the third time in three games.
The Jets completely shut down the New England offense in Week 3, holding the Pats to just a single field goal the entire game. New York was especially impressive defending against the run, as not a single Patriot player managed to rush for more than 29 yards.
Our Broncos vs Jets Week 4 NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
I fully expect New York to move to 3-1 on the season overall this weekend, as there is no doubt that they are the far superior team on the offensive side of the ball. However, it’s tough to see a lot of value with either side of this matchup against the spread, as the current line looks very accurate.
Both of these defenses have played well to start the season for the most part, and although the Jets should still find the end zone a couple of times, I don’t think that laying over a full touchdown against the spread in a game that will likely be a low-scoring affair is remotely close to an optimal bet.
Game Total Betting Market Tip: Under 40
Denver has only given up 20 total points over their past two games, while New York has also surrendered just 20 total points in their last two outings combined. Neither offense is really all that hot right now either, as the Broncos are averaging well under 20 points per game while the Jets offense has performed pretty close to the league average thus far in 2024.
Even if Aaron Rodgers turns in another multi-touchdown performance through the air, I don’t have much confidence in Bo Nix and the rest of the Broncos to keep pace considering their tough matchup against what was a Top 5 overall defense in 2023-24.
While they have shown a bit of rust to start the year, look for the Jets to keep Denver out of the end zone more often than not in this spot. Ultimately, I’d much rather take a shot with a bet on the total in what should be a hard-nosed, defense-first battle. Roll with the Under!
