The Denver Broncos’ quest to snap the franchise’s eight-year playoff drought got off to an inauspicious start Sunday.
After falling to the Las Vegas Raiders, 17-16, the Broncos find themselves on the precipice of starting the year 0-2 for the first time since 2020 and the third time since winning the Super Bowl in 2015. Denver will look to break through in Week 2 against Washington, in a game that kicks off at 2:25 p.m. local time.
Luckily for Denver, oddsmakers at BetMGM Colorado list the Broncos as a 3.5-point favorite with a moneyline of -185. Utilizing Stathead.com, BetColorado.com looked at how teams ended the NFL season after starting with an 0-2 record since the 1970 merger. There have been 406 teams that have started 0-2 since 1970.
Performance Of NFL Teams Starting 0-2
Interestingly enough, despite the opening loss to Las Vegas, the Broncos Super Bowl odds are the same as the Raiders — +8000. Unfortunately for both, that’s tied for 10th from the bottom in the league.
0-2 Teams Don’t Typically Bounce Back
Of the NFL teams that lost their first two games, only 9.6% (39) made it to the playoffs, with the most recent one to do so being Cincinnati in 2022. The Bengals were the only team out of the six franchises that started the year 0-2 to make the postseason.
Conversely, the best end-of-season records among teams that started the year 0-2 were the Bengals in 2022 and Carolina in 2013 — both of whom finished 12-4. So 0-2 makes you a bad bet at Colorado sportsbooks. Since 1970, a total of four teams that started 0-2 made the Super Bowl, with three of those winning it all.
With new coach Sean Payton, Broncos fans have reason to hope — and put their money down at Colorado betting apps — that this year’s team can fly along the lines of the Bengals and Panthers, starting Week 2 at home against the Commanders.
