A pair of franchises that posted double-digit losses in 2018, the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos will collide on the grass of Oakland Coliseum. This showdown will kick off fairly late for fans on the East Coast (10:20 p.m. ET) and ESPN will showcase the action.
Thursday NightBetting Preview: Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
This AFC matchup is projected as a toss-up, and Oddsmakers have determined the over/under (O/U) to be 43 points.
The original odds have shifted, as the opening line was -3. The game’s total has not moved after being set initially at 43.
The Broncos went 6-10 straight-up (SU) in 2018 while the Raiders could only manage a 4-12 SU record last season. When playing against conference competition, the Broncos finished 4-8 SU and the Raiders were 3-9 SU versus American Football Conference teams. The Broncos went 2-2 SU against out-of-conference teams while the Raiders were 1-3 SU against such teams.
On a per-matchup basis, the Broncos averaged 256.5 passing yards and 110.0 rushing yards against their four out-of-conference opponents last year. They managed to score 26.5 points per game versus those opponents while giving up 19.3 per contest. When facing off against AFC competition, they averaged 18.6 points, 22.7 points-against, 242.0 pass yards per game and 122.3 rush yards per game.
Against out-of-conference competition, the Raiders threw for 204.0 yards per game and rushed for 107.0 a game on their way to 10.5 points per contest. When facing American Football Conference opponents, the offensive unit tallied 20.7 points per game by averaging 270.1 passing yards and 100.0 rush yards. The Raiders defense gave up 28.8 PPG to non-conference foes and 29.3 PPG to conference teams
It appears that the Broncos may hold an advantage in terms of efficiency in the ground game, as their running backs logged 4.9 yards per carry last season while the defense kept opponents to a YPC of 4.5. The Raiders recorded 4.2 yards per carry last year and allowed 4.7 YPC to opposing runners.
Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders Betting Pick
SU Winner: Broncos, ATS Winner: Broncos, O/U: Over
Team Betting Notes
- The Broncos created 18 rushing touchdowns last season.
- The Raiders put up nine rushing touchdowns last season.
- Each of these teams put up exactly 19 passing touchdowns last season.
