The Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos face off on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL showdown at Empower Field at Mile High. The Raiders have won the last six games over the Broncos
Broncos Dealing with Injury Issues
The Denver Broncos need to get out to a fast start to the season, but they are dealing with some injury issues heading into this game. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury during training camp and it appears he’s officially questionable for this game. Jeudy has been limited during practice. Running back Javonte Williams suffered a torn ACL, LCL, and PCL on Oct. 2, 2022 but he’s expected to play in this game. Last season the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson but with the way he played last season he looked like a bottom-tier quarterback. This offseason the Broncos hired Sean Payton and there is quiet confidence that he’s going to be the answer to get Wilson back on track. In this game, it’s going to come down to how good the offense can be.
Broncos Betting Trends
- The Broncos have lost nine of their last 10 games against AFC West opponents.
- The Broncos have failed to cover the spread in each of their last nine games as favorites against AFC opponents.
- The Broncos have scored the first touchdown in nine of their last 12 games as home favorites.
- The underdogs have won the first quarter in three of the Broncos' last four Week 1 games.
- The favorites have won the first half in six of the last seven games between the Raiders and Broncos.
Jimmy G Leads Raiders
This Raiders team looks a lot different than last season and that starts under center. Derek Carr is now with the New Orleans Saints and the Raiders have brought in Jimmy Garoppolo to lead the offense. Garoppolo’s time early with the team was rough and that included him failing a physical. The good news is that Garoppolo is now healthy, and there is hope this team can compete for the AFC West. Garoppolo has some targets out wide including Davante Adams who is still one of the best wide receivers in the league. On defense is where the Raiders might have some issues. Maxx Crosby is a star, but outside of that the cabinets are pretty bare. In this game the offense is going to need to be good, but it will probably come down to if the defense can slow down Wilson.
Raiders Betting Trends
- The Raiders have won each of their last six Sunday games against the Broncos.
- The Raiders have covered the spread in 10 of their last 11 games against the Broncos.
- The Raiders have scored the first touchdown in four of their last five Week 1 road games.
- The Raiders have won the first quarter in seven of their last nine September games as underdogs against AFC opponents.
- The Raiders have won the first half in five of their last seven games as moderate underdogs (+3.5 to +7.0 points).
Broncos vs Raiders Facts
- The Broncos ranked 32nd in the NFL in kickoff return yards per game (24.7) last season
- The Broncos ranked 1st in the AFC West for points allowed per game last season (21.1)
- The Raiders ranked T31st in the NFL in interceptions (6) last season
- The Raiders ranked 30th in the NFL in sacks (27.0) last season
Shane’s Free Pick
There are many that believe the Broncos are going to be better this year, but I’m not sold on that fact. Wilson looked bad last year and I don’t believe Sean Payton is going to be the answer for that. Even against a bad Raiders defense, the Broncos are going to struggle to find success here. This Raiders offense is going to be good, and they are going to find success scoring here. Look for the Raiders to score at least 27 points here, and that is going to be the difference as Las Vegas is going to get the job done. Back the Raiders against the spread.
AUTHOR: Shane Mickle
