Thirty-six hours ago, the Broncos were 5.5-point underdogs in the AFC Championship Game, an unprecedented spread for the home team in a conference title game. But as the game approaches, bettors are backing the Broncos.
The point spread has shifted to the point that multiple sports books now have the Patriots favored by only 3.5 points. That’s a significant shift late in the week.
The betting line may be particularly volatile for this game because no one knows what to expect from Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who will start in place of the injured Bo Nix. After Nix was injured at the end of the Broncos’ divisional round win, opinions have been all over the map about whether Stidham is prepared to step in for Denver. Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game in two years, so it’s impossible to say how he’s going to look when he gets the opportunity. The Broncos were expected to be one-point favorites if Nix had been healthy.
The Broncos are the first home team to be an underdog in a conference championship game since January of 2018, when the Eagles, led by backup quarterback Nick Foles, were two-point underdogs against the Vikings. The Eagles won, 38-7, and then won the Super Bowl two weeks later.
