NFL 'SNF' Week 16: Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots Christmas Eve betting picks, preview

"Sunday Night Football" heads to Mile High this week for an AFC showdown between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. Is it the most exciting game on the Week 16 slate? Not by a long shot, but we can make it a bit more entertaining by targeting some bets for the "SNF" matchup. 

Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots betting odds, preview

Spread: Broncos -7, Over/under: 35.5, Moneyline: Broncos -350 | Patriots +280

The Broncos return home this week after three straight road games, and their reward is a 3-11 Patriots team that struggles to score every week. New England ranks dead last in the NFL in points per game and 28th in yards per play. Bailey Zappe has taken over the starting quarterback job and led the Pats to 38 total points over the last two weeks, but it won't be an easy task against a Broncos defense that's been much better in the second half of the year.

Denver looked like the worst defensive unit in the NFL to start the year, but the Broncos have given up more than 20 points just three times over their last nine games. They should be in for another strong performance against an offense that lacks explosiveness at every skill position. 

At 7-7, the Broncos need a win on Sunday night to keep pace in the AFC wild-card standings. The Patriots have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

'Sunday Night Football' betting picks

Patriots +7 (-110 FanDuel)

As the NFL season wears on, you'll start to see larger spreads in games between potential playoff teams and teams that have already been eliminated. The feeling is that teams such as the Broncos have more incentive to win, while teams such as the Patriots would rather lose to set up a better draft pick.

But that's not always the case. NFL players and coaches don't intentionally lose games to set up the future of the franchise. The Patriots have looked much better with Zappe under center, and the Broncos aren't built to blow teams out. As long as the Patriots don't commit any devastating turnovers, they should be able to keep this game close down to the wire. 

Under 35.5 (-110 FD)

This bet goes hand-in-hand with our Patriots +7 ticket. The strength of both teams is their defense, and neither offense is particularly good at turning red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. This should be a slow-paced game from start to finish, so the Broncos might need only 17 points to get out of here with a win.