Since Peyton Manning joined the Broncos for the 2012 season, they’ve owned the AFC West. Manning is 18-1 against division foes and leads the undefeated Broncos in search of their eighth straight win over Oakland. It’s been so bad for the Raiders, they hired former Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as head coach to try and reverse their fortunes.
ODDS
Denver opened as a 5.5-point favorite with the total at 45. The Broncos have had the edge in the series recently, going 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. We saw the line wagered down to -4.5 while the total fell to 43.
KEY INJURIES
Ty Sambrailo – Is still working his way back from a shoulder injury he suffered against the Lions two weeks ago. He didn’t play last Sunday and has yet to return to practice. If he is unable to play the Broncos will employ the same lineup they used last week against the Vikings with Ryan Harris at left tackle in place of Sambrailo and Michael Schofield at right tackle.
T.J. Carrie – Didn’t return after taking a hit to the chest in last week’s loss in Chicago and missed practice time this week. His status for Sunday is unclear and will likely be determined closer to game time. If he’s unable to play, look for Larry Asante or Taylor Mays to fill in at safety.
KEY MISMATCH
Peyton Manning has enjoyed an incredible amount of success during his NFL career and he’s absolutely owned the Raiders. Manning has won his last nine starts against Oakland dating to his time with Indianapolis, connecting on 69.5 percent of his passes for an average of 283.8 yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions in that span. He should be able to find some holes in a Raiders defense that ranks 31st in the NFL with 310.5 passing yards allowed per game. Manning has a pair of standout receivers in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas to throw to, but tight end Owen Daniels could be primed for a big afternoon. Daniels hasn’t been a top option in the Denver offense, collecting 12 receptions for 61 yards and a pair of touchdowns in four games. But he will certainly be targeted to test the glaring weakness in the Raiders defense. Oakland has allowed 32 receptions, 388 yards and six touchdowns to opposing tight ends so far this season.
KEY STAT
18.0 – Denver’s quarterback sack total. The Broncos are on pace to tie the NFL record of 72 held by the 1984 Bears. Oakland has allowed only five sacks, tied for fourth fewest in the league.
BETTING ANGLE
Can anyone be more familiar with Denver’s defensive personnel than the man who guided them the past three seasons? Raiders coach Jack Del Rio was the Broncos’ defensive coordinator from 2012-2014, finishing in the top five in the NFL in total defense each of the last two seasons. The Broncos currently sit atop most of the league’s major defensive rankings in 2015. And in wake of the teams dynamic play over the last month, virtually all of the defenders have talked about how much “faster” and “more aggressive” they believe they can play in Wade Phillips’ scheme as opposed to Del Rio’s. During his time with Denver, Del Rio never lost to the Raiders and now he must try to reverse that trend.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Even with a Broncos offense that hasn’t looked as dynamic as in years past, the Raiders don’t have what it takes to slow them down. Oakland’s only game this season against a playoff contender resulted in a blowout home loss and they played down to the wire against three mediocre teams. We’ll see just how far this team has come on Sunday. Manning has owned the Raiders, and while he isn’t protected by an ironclad offensive line, he’s still smart enough to dissect a weak defense with two high-end receivers and a tight end to throw to. Denver’s athletic D will give Derek Carr fits all afternoon and will test Oakland’s offense on multiple levels. The loss won’t be as ugly as the previous two, but Denver will win decisively.
Denver 33, Oakland 23
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday game at -5.5 in favor of the Broncos. The NFL betting lines total surfaced at 45. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
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