AFC Championship: Is C.J. Anderson the key for the Broncos vs. the Patriots?

C.J. Anderson Prop Odds

The Denver Broncos are committed to running the ball right now. Will that mean big things for C.J. Anderson in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots?

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According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Patriots are favored on the road in this game, as they are getting odds of -3 points against the Broncos. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 45 points. These two meet today at 3:05PM ET on CBS.

After a strong finish to the 2014 season, many expected Anderson to be one of the top backs in the NFL this season, but his overall numbers for the Broncos (13-4, 8-8-1 ATS) were pretty disappointing. Anderson had just 720 rushing yards and five touchdowns during the 2015 season as Denver struggled early in the year to establish any type of run game. A simple change of putting the QB under center instead of in the shotgun has seemed to breathe some life into the run game over the last month or so and now Anderson finds himself back into a position to take over a game, though he still splits carries with Ronnie Hillman. Including last week’s playoff game where he rushed for 72 yards on 15 carries, Anderson has rushed for 70 yards or more in three straight.

For today’s game with the Patriots (13-4, 8-7-2 ATS), Anderson has been given an over/under of 55.5 rushing yards. When these two met back on Nov. 29, Anderson had his best game of the season, rushing for 113 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns as the Broncos beat the Pats, 30-24 in OT. The Broncos tend to ride the back that is hot, but they give both men an early opportunity to produce. Each had double-digit carries last week and both had double-digit carries against the Patriots during the Nov. 29 meeting.

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