Denver need to get their rushing game going

Sky Sports Action, 1.30am Sunday night

The late Sunday action involves a team at the top of their game against rivals who are going through a bad time.

The season is coming together perfectly for New England, who are vying with Pittsburgh for the AFC number-one seeding, and they will not be overawed by a trip to Denver having won their last 11 away matches.

The Patriots have won their last four matches and have not conceded more than 17 points in any of those outings.

The picture is different for the Broncos, who won three of their opening four matches but have slumped since.

Denver attempted to address their offensive issues by replacing quarterback Trevor Siemian with Brock Osweiler, but they still slumped to a 51-23 defeat against Philadelphia, where two of their touchdowns came in the fourth quarter when the game was lost.

That defeat took them to the bottom of the AFC West and they have covered the handicap in just two of their eight matches.

The Patriots are a strong all-round outfit, but their run defence is perhaps their greatest weakness - just seven teams have conceded more yards on the ground.

Denver have notched just four rushing touchdowns this season - one of them was scored by Siemian - but this looks a good opportunity for CJ Anderson to shine, especially as there are reservations about Osweiler.

Anderson will want to prove a point after attaining just 13 yards in nine carries against the Eagles but he should be able to eclipse 48.5 yards, which he has done in four of his eight matches this season.

Playing against the Patriots should also provoke happy memories as he chalked up 113 yards when they visited Mile High two years ago, which included two touchdowns, one of which was a 48-yard effort.

Recommendation
Over 48.5 CJ Anderson rushing yards
2pts 5-6 Paddy Power

The lowdown
Venue Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver Colorado
Surface Grass
Weather Cloudy 8C
Vegas handicap New England -7.5
Vegas points line 44.5

Team news
New England
Wide receiver Chris Hogan (shoulder), tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle) and defensive tackle Malcom Brown (ankle) are all out. Receiver Danny Amendola, cornerback Stephon Gillmore, defensive end Cassius Marsh and tight end Martellus Bennett, signed from Green Bay this week, are all questionable.

Denver
Wide receiver Emmanuel Anders, offensive tackle Donald Stephenson and linebacker Todd Davis are all listed as questionable.

Key stat
New England have won 16 of their last 18 matches.

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