Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos Odds & Game Pick
The Oakland Raiders are very likely playing their final game as the Oakland Raiders this Sunday. They have a tiny chance of making the playoffs, but they need several results other than this game to line up in their favor. With their playoff odds being very slim, it’s likely their next game will be in 2020 as the Las Vegas Raiders, taking place in a new stadium and a new state after spending their entire existence in the state of California as the Oakland or Los Angeles Raiders.
The Denver Broncos are trying to look to the future, which means another game with Drew Lock at quarterback after the disastrous Joe Flacco experiment earlier in the season. They’ve been trending in the right direction, winning three of four. Can they get the job done in this spot and cash as a small favorite?
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Details
- Opening Line: Denver -3.5
- Current Line: Denver -3.5
- Over/Under: 41
- Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Start Time: 4:25 PM ET
- Last Meeting: Raiders 24 vs. Broncos 16 – September 9, 2019
Overview
The Raiders were in good position to make the playoffs in the middle of November, but then they fell apart. They played brutal football in a blowout loss to the New York Jets and they never really recovered. The offense fell apart in multiple games – especially in second halves where they were outscored 78-9 during the four-game losing streak. The defense collapsed several times and the team came apart at the seams, failing to withstand the pressure of the playoff push.
Quarterback Derek Carr seems to be at a crossroads in a career that is likely to move to another city next season as head coach Jon Gruden will very likely look for a new quarterback. The Raiders are in a very uncertain situation as they move to Las Vegas. On top of that, they might be without star rookie Josh Jacobs as the running back just had mid-week surgery for an infection.
As for the Broncos, they’ve watched young quarterback Drew Lock torch the Houston Texans, struggle against the Kansas City Chiefs, and then improve against the Detroit Lions. Lock is showing signs that he could become the quarterback the Broncos need, but he is also playing late in the season when opponents don’t have large amounts of game film to study him. Lock will be much more of a marked man in 2020 if he is the Broncos’ Opening Day starter. Since the Raiders still have an outside shot at the playoffs though, Oakland’s defense might be a tougher obstacle for Lock than the Texans or the Lions were.
Trends
- Raiders are 16-34-1 ATS in their last 51 games following a straight-up win
- Raiders are 7-15 ATS in their last 22 games as a road underdog
- Raiders are 18-39-1 ATS in their last 58 games following an ATS win
- Broncos are 4-0 ATS versus a team with a losing record
- Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games
Bottom Line
The Raiders will likely be playing without Jacobs, who is probably the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2019, but they survived without him last week. They’re capable of doing so again. However, Lock has mostly been on-point, save for the game in the snow at Kansas City. He’s completed 73.9% of his passes otherwise.
It’s expected to be fairly chilly on Sunday in Denver, and with Carr having a shaky history in cold weather, it’s tough to back him here. Without the hammer in the backfield, expect the Broncos to find a way to end their season on a high note.
Prediction: Broncos 23, Raiders 16
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Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 17
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.