Fansided

Broncos at Raiders: Game preview, odds, prediction

By Brad Weiss

Dec 13, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes the ball during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Raiders won 15-12. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes the ball during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Raiders won 15-12. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

In a battle for first place in the AFC West, the Denver Broncos will head to Oakland to take on the Raiders on Sunday Night Football.

The Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos head into their Sunday Night Football match-up both with a record of 6-2 and looking to take control of the AFC West. The Raiders won for the fifth time in five tries on the road this past weekend, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite committing the most penalties (23) in league history. Third-year starter Derek Carr threw for 513 yards against a porous Bucs secondary, tossing four touchdowns against zero interceptions.

Denver did what they normally do, which is take care of business at home. The Broncos took on division rival San Diego in Week 8, and were able to pull away late in a 27-19 victory. Quarterback Trevor Siemian looked much better under center than he did the week before, and rookie running back Devontae Booker did a nice job carrying the load in the backfield.

For the Raiders, they are playing their best football in the last 14 years as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. That season, Oakland took on the Bucs in the Super Bowl but were throttled, 48-21. This team is one of the better offensive units in all of football, but they have some fatal flaws on the defensive side of the ball. If they play the way they did against the Bucs last week, Siemian and company will pick them apart.

Odds

Line: Even
Over/Under: 43.5

The Broncos have the best secondary in the AFC, and it is going to be an interesting match-up between them and the high-octane Oakland offense. Carr has had no problem picking apart secondaries this season, but he has yet to play one the caliber of the Broncos. He did struggle against a tough Kansas City secondary a couple weeks back, though he has made tremendous strides since.

Next: NFL Power Rankings: 30 Best QB of All-Time

This game will be nationally televised, and it will certainly be a hard fought AFC West battle. Denver is the class of the AFC West until they are dethroned, and Oakland just is not ready defensively to take the crown away from them. The Broncos should be able to go into Oakland and defeat a Raiders team that has looked a lot better away from O.co Stadium this season.

Prediction: Broncos 24 Raiders 20

Home/Denver Broncos