Week 5 of the NFL season starts with what can only be described as a lackluster Thursday Night Football matchup tonight. Two teams dealing with injuries and trying to stay competitive in the NFL standings will face off in what might be forever known as the great Battle of Struggling Offenses. Who is playing tonight, what time does the game start, and how can you watch it?
Who Plays on Thursday Night Football Tonight?
Teams
Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1) at Denver Broncos (2-2)
Location
Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, Colorado
Before we were graced with matchups like the Bengals and Dolphins or Chargers and Chiefs, Thursday Night Football was known for its less-than-stellar scheduling spots. Well, this week, TNF returns to its roots and gives us the Colts traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos.
With both teams still struggling to find their offensive identities and suffering from significant injuries to their most exciting players, expectations are not very high for this one. But listen, although this game between the Colts and Broncos might not have the same allure as some of the other marquee matchups in Week 5, it’s still an NFL football game, so we must both appreciate it and find ways to bet on it.
Let’s start with the Broncos. The team is coming off a close loss to their AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders. Denver now sits at 2-2 on the season, but honestly, it already feels like they have lost their division thanks to how good both the Chiefs and Chargers have looked.
Russell Wilson and this offense can be described as sluggish at best, and will now be without their RB1 Javonte Williams, who will miss the remainder of the year with a knee injury. In addition to Williams, Wilson is also dealing with a shoulder injury that caused him to remain limited in practice this week.
MORE: Revisiting the Russell Wilson Trade
Meanwhile, the Colts are also coming into this game off of a divisional loss at the hands of the Tennessee Titans, 24-17. However, the 1-2-1 Colts still feel very alive in the AFC South thanks to how mediocre the division is as a whole.
QB Matt Ryan has struggled to find chemistry with his new team, and the lack of a vertical threat has allowed teams to limit the once-unstoppable Jonathan Taylor. The talented RB is averaging just four yards per carry this season and has yet to put up a performance even close to what we were used to seeing last season.
Unfortunately, it gets worse for the Colts because Taylor won’t even be playing in this one after being ruled out due to a lower leg injury. So, an already average offense will now need to rely on Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson to help try and beat the Broncos.
This betting line opened with the home team laying a field goal, and has remained in that general vicinity. With the news that Taylor will miss this game, the number has now moved to 3.5 at most sportsbooks. The total is sitting at 42, which feels high for two teams that struggle to put up points.
[bet-promo id=”160004″ ]What Time is Thursday Night Football Tonight?
Date: Oct. 6, 2022
Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV Channel and Live Stream for Thursday Night Football
TV channels: Amazon Prime Video
Live stream: Amazon Prime Video
Want to stream NFL games at home or on the go this season? Check out Vidgo or fuboTV, two streaming platforms that provide you with live sports across multiple devices. Additionally, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide on how to live stream NFL games.