Colts vs. Broncos: Final Odds, Spread Predictions for 2015 AFC Divisional Game

According to Odds Shark, the Denver Broncos are seven-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts for Sunday's AFC Divisional Round matchup.

It's not hard to understand why. The game will be played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, where the Broncos finished the regular season a perfect 8-0.

That spotless home record includes a 31-24 win over the Colts in Week 1.

Denver will also welcome back one of its standout defensive performers for the game. Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reported on Friday that linebacker Brandon Marshall pronounced himself ready to play in the team's first postseason game of the season after earning a bye through Wild Card Weekend.

Marshall led the Broncos in tackles during the regular season despite missing the last two games with what Saunders called a "lingering foot injury."

Per Saunders, Marshall said, "Today [Friday] was the best I felt, and I sprinted for the first time."

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That could be bad news for the Colts. In the Week 1 meeting, Marshall was all over the field. The 25-year-old had 10 tackles with two of them resulting in a loss of yardage. If he's functioning near 100 percent, he'll likely be a major factor.

The Luck Plan

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Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will be hoping to limit turnovers. During the regular-season meeting, the Colts fell behind 24-0 at one point in the first half. They went into halftime trailing 24-7 before mounting a furious comeback to make the final score respectable.

Luck tossed two interceptions in the game. One came in the first quarter and the other late in the fourth. Both picks were thrown in Broncos territory and severely impacted the Colts' momentum. 

If Luck can't protect the football better on Sunday, the Colts will almost certainly be headed for another loss.

Will the Broncos Cover?

In short, the answer is "Yes." I'm predicting a 30-20 win for the Broncos. At home with Peyton Manning under center after a week to rest, and with important defensive components back in place, Denver is the stronger team.

Queue the "Luck can't win big games" criticism.

It won't hit overdrive until Indy loses a postseason game at home, but this will mark the third straight year in which Luck has failed to lead his team to the promised land.

That might seem like a bit of an unfair spin, but these are the expectations a player like Luck faces. When it's all said and done, Colts fans will be waiting until next year for a better result.