Bo Nix the Heavy Favorite, Zach Wilson a Longshot to be Denver Broncos’ Week 1 Starter

Will the Bo Nix era begin immediately in Denver?

The oddsmakers think that will be the case.

The rookie quarterback has been instituted as a strong favorite to be the Broncos’ starting quarterback in Week 1, which can be gambled on at DraftKings sportsbook.

QB to Play the Broncos’ First Week 1 Snap

• Bo Nix -300
• Jarrett Stidham +330
• Zach Wilson +900

Nix, the No. 12 overall pick in the draft out of Oregon, has a favorable road with only Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham as competition, but will still need to prove that he can acclimate quickly to the NFL.

Nix is 24 years old, and his boatload of college experience could be a factor in the competition. The Broncos have not traditionally started a rookie from Day 1, but the NFL has moved further in that direction in recent years.

While Nix was the sixth quarterback selected in the first round of the draft, he has better odds than Drake Maye (+350) and J.J. McCarthy (+120) to open the season as the starter.

Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are not expected to have competition for starting jobs, while Michael Penix, Jr. will back up Kirk Cousins in Atlanta.

It’s a mild surprise to see Wilson with such long odds. The former No. 2 overall pick in the draft has not lived up to the billing thus far in his career, but still has enough pedigree that a good offseason could pique the interest of coach Sean Payton and the front office.

Stidham is the safest choice as someone who has been in Payton’s offense for a year and may be able to manage the game most effectively early on. He went 1-1 last season in two starts, with yards per attempt average of 7.4, a quarterback rating of 87.7 and a Total QBR of 31.1.

Other sportsbooks also seem to believe Nix will get early playing time. BetMGM has unveiled its NFL passing totals for the season, and Nix has an over/under of 2,950.5 yards and 18.5 touchdown passes.

That equates to a per-game average of 174 passing yards if he plays all 17, which would go up incrementally for every game he is on the sideline.

The Broncos are in line for a rebuilding year, so getting Nix on the field early makes sense. It’s the move the oddsmakers at DraftKings believe will happen.