Will the Raiders extend their winning streak against the Broncos?
It was almost impossible for these two teams of all teams to be listed as disappointments after ten days of NFL play, as both franchises invested heavily this past offseason to at least make the playoffs.
But both the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are miles short of that goal. Predicting that at least one of them will still make it to the postseason is hardly realistic given the strength of the AFC Conference.
The Broncos, led by star quarterback Russell Wilson, have just three wins after nine games. Most recently they lost to the Titans and overall they closed five of their last six games with a defeat.
The Raiders’ statistics read similarly bad, losing four of their last five games. The win in week four against Denver was the first win of the season for head coach Josh McDaniels’ team. They only followed that up with a win against the Texans in week seven. Last weekend they lost to a Colts team, although that one was in absolute chaos the week before the game.
Favourites on Sunday night are the Broncos. The Raiders odds for a win are 2.30. Incidentally, it would be the sixth win in a row for the franchise from the “City of Sin” against the team from the “Mile High City”.
Denver Broncos – statistics & current form
When looking at the Denver Broncos’ schedule so far, one thing stands out: If they had scored just 18 points in each game, instead of a 3-6 win-loss record, they would have an 8-1 record and lead their division and the AFC. This is exactly the main problem Denver has to face, because their own offence hardly manages to score any points. With an average of 14.5 points, they score the fewest points in the league.
Actually, the potential should be increased with the signing of Russell Wilson, but so far relatively little fits together. Which is certainly not only his fault, but also that of rookie head coach and playcaller Nathaniel Hackett.
Offense pfui, Defence hui
Meanwhile, the hope and confidence that the offense will perform better is also all but extinguished. To make matters worse, the use of second-best pass receiver Jerry Jeudy against Las Vegas is very much on the line. Jeudy has caught three of the seven touchdown passes so far. In the entire NFL, only the Pittsburgh Steelers have recorded fewer receiving touchdowns. Against Las Vegas, Wilson managed two successful passes into the end zone on the fourth day of the game. If he repeats this in the upcoming game between the Broncos and Raiders, attractive betting odds await.
The Broncos’ showpiece is definitely their defence, which is statistically the second best in the league. With 16.6 points, it even allows the fewest points of all teams. Only once did they allow more than 20 points, namely 32, and that was in the Broncos vs. Raiders duel. Our prediction is that they’ll get a better handle on the Las Vegas offence this time around.
Key Players:
QB: Russell Wilson
RB: Melvin Gordon III
WR: Courtland Sutton
TE: Greg Dulcich
K: Brandon McManus
Las Vegas Raiders – Statistics & current form
Josh McDaniels – one and done? Or does he get to keep working in Las Vegas despite the down year? He, who was so successful as an assistant coach with the Patriots, was given the vote of confidence by the Raiders in the offseason and allowed to take up his second head coaching post. His first and so far only station as head coach was in Denver, where he failed miserably and had to take his hat off in the second year, after 13 days of play in 2010. At that time, he managed eleven wins in 28 games.
Will the Raiders win again on the ground?
The main playmaker in the Raiders passing game is Davante Adams, who has recorded pass catches for over 100 yards in five games. He has also caught 61% of quarterback Derek Carr’s touchdown passes so far. He has never scored a touchdown against Denver in his career, but it is quite possible that this will change in the upcoming duel between the Broncos and Raiders. A bet on this will bring attractive odds at various bookmakers.
Still missing as options in the passing game will be wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller, both of whom are still on the Injured Reserve list. In the running game, there is one all-time standout and that is Josh Jacobs. He has over 800 rushing yards after nine games, almost as many as he had in 15 games last season. In the first match against Denver he managed 144 yards and two touchdowns. That is exactly why the visitors will attach immense importance to the running game in the next encounter. Against the best press defence in the league, this would be a good game plan.
Key Players:
QB: Derek Carr
RB: Josh Jacobs
WR: Davante Adams
TE: Foster Moreau
K: Daniel Carlson
Denver Broncos – Las Vegas Raiders Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
For a whopping 127th time, the two franchises will meet on Sunday night at “Empower Field at Mile High” Stadium. If the Broncos beat the Raiders, for which odds of 1.70 can be found, it would be their 55th win. However, as mentioned at the beginning, they have lost the last five duels in a row. A Denver home win against Las Vegas is now almost three years ago.
While the Raiders defence allows 8.5 points more than the Broncos’ defensive unit, the offence also averages eight points more. In the last game between the two franchises, the offensive power prevailed, mainly thanks to the running game. That this will happen again does not seem out of the question, at least.
Denver Broncos – Las Vegas Raiders Tip
Both teams have disappointed several times this season and that is why we find it difficult to make a prediction for the renewed duel. In the first meeting, a surprising amount of points were scored as the Raiders offense got rolling.
Even though we don’t trust the Broncos offence 100%, we decide to recommend that both teams can put at least 15 or more points on the scoreboard. Bookmaker bet365 offers odds of 1.86, on which we bet seven units.
We are much more cautious in predicting that the Broncos will lose again to the Raiders. A bet on the guests brings very good value, but should be treated with caution. Overall, however, we trust the Raiders much more than the Broncos, who are now likely to lose Jerry Jeudy on the offensive side of the ball.
Since we see the Raiders ahead, there is also the possibility to place a bet on a touchdown scorer. For that, however, we recommend picking Josh Jacobs rather than Davante Adams.
