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Mid-Week Movement: Drew Lock, Broncos Back to a Road "Pick 'Em" vs. Raiders

By Matt De Saro

Drew Lock will be the second backup QB the Raiders have faced in a row but isn't a pushover.
Drew Lock will be the second backup QB the Raiders have faced in a row but isn't a pushover. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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Both the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are hanging on for dear life in the playoff rankings after stumbling down the stretch. The two face off in Week 16 with a lot on the line for both squads. 

The Broncos will be without their starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and will be forced to turn to Dew Lock to get it done. That will be a tough task for a guy who has more interceptions than touchdown passes this season. Lock has seen action in three games this year but didn’t throw a TD pass until last week. Despite the TD pass, Lock was just 6-for-12 with 88 yards and a 50 percent completion rate. His best game of the season so far was in a 23-7 loss to the Ravens when he was 12-for-21 with 113 yards and an interception. Basically, Drew Lock is not the guy that Denver wants under center. But, he is the guy that they have. 

As much as the Broncos have had some bad news lately, the Raiders have been carrying a black cloud around with them. The team actually managed to avoid falling apart in the first half of the season with a ton of off-the-field drama to contend with. But, promptly after I said they were a worthy long-shot to win the Super Bowl, the Raiders season began to crumble. And it fell apart fast. After starting the year 3-0, the Raiders are currently 7-7 and third place in the AFC West that they led last month. 

Here are the odds for this Week 16 clash of struggling teams, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Broncos vs. Raiders Updated Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • Broncos: EVEN (-110)
  • Raiders: EVEN (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Broncos: -110
  • Raiders: -110

Total:

  • 41.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Broncos vs. Raiders Betting Trends

  • The UNDER is 7-1 in the Broncos' last eight games. 
  • The Broncos are 1-7 against the spread (ATS) in their last eight games. 
  • The UNDER is 6-1 in the Broncos’ last seven games. 
  • The Broncos are 0-5 ATS in their last five games at Las Vegas. 
  • The Broncos are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against the AFC.
  • The Raiders are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games. 
  • The Raiders are 2-5 SU in their last seven games. 
  • The Raiders are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games. 
  • The OVER is 11-4 in the Raiders' last 15 games against the AFC. 

Broncos vs. Raiders Prediction and Pick

The Broncos were expected to be slight favorites in this game until the news of Teddy Bridgewater’s availability broke. Therefore, the odds opened with the Raiders as one-point favorites despite their recent struggles. It seems that many, myself included, were happy to pound Broncos and the line has since moved to a Pick ‘Em for Denver on the road. 

Let's not forget that this is the second time these teams are playing with Denver losing 34-24 as five-point favorites. However, the Raiders were a “good team” back then before suffering a meltdown over the last two months. 

While Vegas is coming off a slim victory over the Browns on Monday night, Cleveland was without their first and second string quarterbacks due to COVID-19. And they just barely won. In a similar scenario against a better backup QB, I think the Broncos are a great bet here. I expect this line to continue moving in favor of the Broncos so grab them at a Pick ‘Em while you can. 

Pick: Denver Broncos PK (-110)

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