Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) at Denver Broncos (7-2)
On the surface, this feels like an obvious mismatch. The Raiders, one of the worst teams in the league for several seasons now, going on the road to take on arguably the hottest team in the league. Remember, the Broncos enter this one having won six straight. Denver is looking great, while Las Vegas is looking, once again, quite miserable.
However, let's remember that not only do major upsets happen, but that we just saw a good couple of them this past weekend. Who saw the Cardinals snapping their losing streak in Dallas, or especially the Panthers topping the Packers in Green Bay? Plus, we need to keep in mind that the Raiders are in the same division as the Broncos, which means that they are highly familiar with them.
Of course, that works both ways. The Broncos are obviously quite familiar with the Raiders, as well. Denver swept the two games against Las Vegas last season. And it sure seems like the Broncos are a better team so far this season than they were last season.
So while an upset is certainly possible, it does feel like there is little reason to expect one heading into this particular contest. The Broncos will host, although the weather does not look like it will be a deciding factor.
One thing: it feels like the Broncos keep waiting until the fourth quarter to suddenly pull some magic out and win games. My prediction is not only that they will win, but that they will take care of business by playing a complete game. Presently, they are 8.5 point favorites to win. While it feels a little bit risky, I expect that they will cover the spread. Last minute heroics in the final quarter will not be necessary this time, as they should be able to win this one fairly comfortably.
My pick: Denver
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