NFL London: Denver Broncos vs New York Jets Match Preview

London’s calling for two more NFL teams this week as the struggling New York Jets face the dangerous Denver Broncos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. This all-AFC encounter is a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Broncos arrive fresh off a statement win over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, which improved their record to 3-2 — and tied for the lead in the AFC West. The 0-5 Jets are still searching for their first win under head coach Aaron Glenn, who has seen the team regress over the past couple of weeks.

Tip 1: Denver Broncos -7.5 @ 20/23 with bet365

Denver opened as 6.5-point favourites, but sharp money and public sentiment have pushed the line beyond a touchdown, which still looks easily within reach for them. The Broncos boast one of the league’s stingiest defenses, allowing just 84 points through five games — the second fewest in the NFL. And they have plenty of weapons on offence capable of taking the game away from the Jets, who are one of only two teams in the NFL yet to register an interception through five weeks.

J.K.Dobbins is proving to be a dependable workhorse in the backfield and unlike the Jets’ rushers, who have already dropped the ball twice in scoring positions, he has not fumbled since his rookie year — five seasons ago. The Jets are struggling to protect their quarterback, who was sacked five times last week, and will do well to hang with the Broncos if they play anything like the way they did in the second half of last week’s win over the Eagles.

Tip 2: Troy Franklin Over 36.5 Receiving Yards @ 10/11 with bet365

Courtland Sutton’s chemistry with Bo Nix has been one of the keys to Denver’s success this year, but he may be due for another quiet week against the Jets. The Broncos’ leading wideout has 26 receptions for 365 yards and three touchdowns this season, so he is almost certain to draw coverage from the Jets’ All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. The Jets’ secondary has struggled to contain WR2s because the drop-off in ability from Gardner to the other cornerbacks is so vast. And that should lead Nix to instead target Troy Franklin or tight end Evan Engram in the passing game.

That’s what happened in Week 2 when the Indianapolis Colts cooked up a series of coverages that effectively took Sutton out of the game. He finished with just one catch for six yards while Franklin hauled in eight receptions for 89 yards. The second-year pro has logged more than 37 yards in three of his five starts this year and currently averages more than four catches per game and 11.0 yards per catch.

Tip 3: Justin Fields Anytime TD Scorer @ 5/2 bet365

The Jets have encountered some major issues on offence with a porous line unable to stop the pocket from collapsing in the face of a scary Dallas Cowboys’ pass rush last week. Justin Fields was continually forced to scramble to keep plays alive once the Jets were effectively forced to abandon their running game after falling behind.

Staying close, or getting on top, has to be the Jets’ goal this week to ensure that the wheels don’t fall off as quickly as they did before half-time against the Cowboys when they gave up two touchdowns in just 42 seconds of gametime. Fields’ ability to scramble will be the key to moving the chains and sustaining drives. He has already shown himself to be ready to put his body on the line to make plays and has been responsible for three of New York’s four rushing touchdowns this year.