Denver Broncos VS Oakland Raiders Match Prediction

The Raiders have played the Broncos 119 times so far.  The Raiders have the edge at the moment with 64 wins, two ties, and 53 losses.

Here's a look at the last five results:

12/24/18: Broncos 14-27 Raiders 
9/16/18: Raiders 19-20 Broncos 
11/26/17: Broncos 14-21 Raiders 
10/01/17: Raiders 10-16 Broncos
01/01/17: Raiders 6-24 Broncos

Broncos vs Raiders Betting Tips and Odds

Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:

This is a virtual pick em’ game, with the Broncos at +1.  

The over/under is set at 43.5 total points scored. 

The money line is a dead heat with the Broncos at 20/23 and the Raiders at 20/21.  

Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders Prediction

It’s going to be a close game, and neither team may amount to much overall when it’s all said and done, but the Raiders will come out on top by handling their business to take a first win of the season well ahead of last year’s pace.  

Correct Score Prediction: Raiders 24-20 Broncos

Progress Report

The Broncos come into this season hoping that they can once again compete.  They have largely had a very good defense for a very long time now, and if you look at the stats, they show that to still be the case.  They didn’t allow many points, even against playoff teams, and that has to be a spot of encouragement.  The only thing is that they have to get production out of the offense.  They have had woes at quarterback ever since Peyton Manning went downhill, and they hope that Joe Flacco, a former Super Bowl winner, will be able to shake off the naysayers and lead them to some glory in a tough division where little is expected.  

Last Five Games

12/30: 23-9 L vs Chargers
12/24: 14-27 W vs Broncos
12/15: 17-16 L vs Browns
12/9: 14-20 L @ 49ers
12/2: 24-10 W @ Bengals

Key Offensive Players

Your assessment of Joe Flacco can differ greatly depending on who you are and what you believe he is all about.  He’s won the Super Bowl before, with the Ravens, but he’s also been very frustrating to watch.  He can throw the deep ball well, but he’s not had the kind of top-tier consistency that the likes of Brady, Brees, and Rodgers have had.  Perhaps that’s too much to ask, but people ask anyway.  The man who is likely to be his top target is wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.  Last year, Sanders managed to get 868 yards and four touchdowns in just 12 games.  Not too bad, and something he’ll look to build on with a better QB situation backing him up.

Expected Offensive Starting Line up: 

QB    Flacco
RB    Lindsay
WR    Sanders
WR    Sutton
WR    Hamilton
TE    Heuerman
LT    Bolles
LG    Risner
C    McGovern
RG    Leary
RT    James

Key Defensive Player

On defense, cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. is definitely well worth a watch.  Most people don’t keep an eye on the corners, but they are instrumental.  Last season, he had three interceptions, a touchdown, one sack, and 49 total tackles.  He’ll be asked to do much more of that this year.

Expected Defensive Starting Line up: 

LDE    Wolfe 
NT    Harris    
RDE    Gotsis
WLB    Miller
LILB    Jewell    
RILB    Davis 
SLB    Chubb
LCB    Harris, Jr. 
SS    Jackson
FS    Simmons
RCB    Callahan

Progress Report

The Raiders come off the backs of a summer of Hard Knocks, with the television cameras following them around.  As if that wasn’t a big enough circus, they had to deal with Antonio Brown and his antics, which have kept them in the spotlight all offseason.  Despite that, there are some around California that have high hopes.  Others are a lot less optimistic, believing that head coach Jon Gruden, ever the excitable coach, is past it and out of modern ideas.  That will be found out this year, as this team is surely going to be much closer to what he envisioned it being than it was last year in Year 0.

Last Five Games

12/30: 3-35 L @ Chiefs
12/24: 14-27 W vs Broncos
12/16: 16-30 L @ Bengals
12/9: 21-24 W vs Steelers
12/2: 40-33 L vs Chiefs

Key Offensive Players

One of the things the Raiders and Gruden need to do is convince QB Derek Carr that he is a big time player.  They are paying him well, but 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions isn’t the best record to have from last season.  He did throw for over 4,000 yards, but he was sacked 51 times, which is way too much to be competitive.  The aforementioned Brown is worth the shoutout here.  He’s dealt with frostbite on his feet this summer, but he is still going to be expected and demanded to get results immediately.  He’s a livewire, but there is no doubting his ability to catch the ball and make big plays when his head is on straight.

Expected Offensive Starting Line up: 

QB    Carr
RB    Jacobs
WR    Antonio Brown 
WR    Williams
WR    Renfrow
TE    Waller
LT    Miller
LG    Cooper
C    Hudson
RG    Good
RT    Trent Brown

Key Defensive Player

If there is such a thing as the prototypical Raider, then it might be Vontaze Burfict.  He’s been a man that has ran afoul of the NFL before, but he’s also a player that is capable of inflicting damage and trouble for every offense he lines up across from.  From his middle linebacker role, he’ll have an immense effect, positive or negative.

Expected Defensive Starting Line up: 

LDE    Ferrell 
LDT    Hall
RDT    Hankins
RDE    Mayowa
WLB    Morrow
MLB    Burfict
SLB    Whitehead
LCB    Conley
SS    Joseph
FS    Abram
RCB    Worley

A new season is upon us, and both teams will be happy about that prospect. With each having suffered through poor seasons, there will not be too much expected of them. However, they each could be a surprise, given the unpredictable nature of the NFL. With that said, this game, in Oakland anyway, has been seeing a trend lately. The silver and black tend to win, and they should add to that record here.

The Raiders have beaten the Broncos at home in each of the last three seasons.