It’s Year 3 of the 17-game NFL schedule and there are a record seven NFL teams sitting at 7-6 and hoping to advance to the playoffs.
The Denver Broncos have gone 6-1 over the past seven games to become one of those teams as they head into matchups with Detroit (9-4), New England (3-10), the L.A. Chargers (5-9) and Las Vegas (6-8).
To aid in your Colorado sports betting with four weeks left in the NFL season, BetColorado.com utilized Champsorchumps.us to find out how every NFL team that was 7-6 after Week 14 finished the past few seasons.
How 7-6 Teams Have Finished
The Broncos Super Bowl odds are +10000, tied with Atlanta, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
Good Paths to Follow
Five of the 11 teams sitting at 7-6 after Week 14 in the first two years of the 17-game season have advanced to the playoffs. Last year, the Chargers went 3-1 in the final four games, while the Seahawks were 2-2 and still made it.
Both teams lost in the Wild Card round, as Jacksonville beat the Chargers 31-30 in one of the best games of the year, and the Seahawks fell 41-23 to Brock Purdy’s San Francisco 49ers.
The shining examples stepped up in the first year of the 17-game season in 2021. Three of the six teams sitting at 7-6 after Week 14 advanced to the playoffs and all won at least one playoff game. The Buffalo Bills went 4-0 to end the season, beating the Patriots 47-17 in the Wild Card round before losing 42-36 in overtime to the Chiefs.
The 49ers and Bengals both went 3-1 to finish the season, but both saw their seasons end to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco beat L.A. both times in the regular season, including 27-24 in the season finale, but it lost 20-17 in the NFC Championship Game.
The Bengals knocked off the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game a week after K.C.’s classic win over Buffalo. Cincinnati then lost the Super Bowl 23-20 to Matthew Stafford and the Rams.
The Broncos’ toughest task comes this week, as BetMGM Colorado has Detroit favored by 5.5 points. A win in that game would greatly improve Denver’s chances, as it likely would be favored in the remaining three games against New England, the L.A. Chargers and Las Vegas.
At 7-6, the Broncos are only one game behind the Chiefs for the AFC West title, as Kansas City has lost four of its past six games. But ESPN BET Colorado lists the Chiefs as an overwhelming -1800 favorite to win the division. Denver is +900.
