Week 10 finds us at Allegiant Stadium to see the Denver Broncos take on the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders (5-3) are coming off a thrilling win against the Los Angeles Chargers while the Broncos (3-5) are coming off a 34-27 loss against the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos won the last time these two teams faced, edging out a narrow 16-15 victory dating back to last season.
Broncos
Drew Lock has been on fire over the past two games, passing for 561 yards and five touchdowns versus just two interceptions. He’ll aim for his third game in a row with two-plus touchdown passes against a Raiders defense giving up 1.6 passing touchdowns per game. Rookie wideouts Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler both set career highs in catches and receiving yards last week. Jeudy turned 14 targets into seven catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, while Hamler turned 10 targets into six catches for 75 yards. Both rookies will look to build on their impressive Week 9 performances facing a Raiders defense giving up a seventh-worst 267.1 passing yards per game.
After totaling just 41 rushing yards last game, Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay will need to bounce back if they want a chance at pulling off the upset in Las Vegas. Despite Lock’s statistical success over the past two games, Lock has been struggling to move the ball in the first half. The Broncos need to establish a successful run game early if they want their potential franchise quarterback to succeed. With Shelby Harris unavailable after testing positive for COVID-19, Dre’Mont Jones will have big shoes to fill up the middle.
Raiders
Derek Carr has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks halfway through the season. He’s thrown 16 touchdowns versus just two interceptions while completing 69.8 percent of his passes. Five of his 13 completions last Sunday went to Darren Waller, who is second amongst tight ends with 50 catches (trailing only Travis Kelce). Carr faces a Broncos defense giving up 240.9 passing yards per game, so yards could be scarce for the veteran quarterback this week. With the Raiders rushing for 160 yards last Sunday, Carr might not have to throw a lot in this game. On the other side of the ball, Maxx Crosby and Carl Nassib had a sack apiece. With Denver allowing 2.6 sacks per game, expect both pass rushers to make life difficult for Lock and the rest of the Broncos backfield.
With the myriad of injuries on the Broncos’ defensive line, expect Josh Jacobs and Devontae Booker to run wild on Sunday. If the Raiders get out to an early lead, the Raiders should have no problem running the clock out with Jacobs. With all the questions surrounding the availability of Broncos cornerbacks A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan, Henry Ruggs is a player worth watching this week. He has the speed to blow the top off of Denver’s banged-up defense. Carr should have no problem moving the ball through the air with Waller, Ruggs, Nelson Agholor, and Hunter Renfrow at his disposal.
Game Info
Date: November 15, 2020
Start time: 1:05 P.M. PST
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Stadium: Allegiant Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Points Spread: DEN +4 (-110) | LV -4 (-110)
Moneyline: DEN +180 | LV -225
Over/Under: O 50.5 (-110) | U 50.5 (-110)
The Raiders opened up the week as three-point favorites, but the line has since jumped up to four. The over/under has been hovering between 50 and 52 points all week. Vegas expects this game to be a relatively high-scoring affair. The Raiders are averaging 27.3 points per game versus just 21.8 points for the Broncos. Both defenses have struggled to keep their opponents off the scoreboard, with the Raiders and Broncos allowing 28.6 and 27.1 points per game, respectively. With Lock playing lights out as of late, expect the Broncos to cover the four-point spread this week.
Prediction
The Raiders start the game off with a rushing touchdown by Jacobs. After multiple punts by both teams, Lock finds Noah Fant on a three-yard fade to tie the game. Both team exchange rushing touchdowns before heading into halftime. Coming out of the break, Lindsay breaks loose for a 27-yard score to put the Broncos up by a touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, Carr finds Waller in the back of the end zone to tie the game with five minutes remaining. The Broncos offense stalls and punts the ball to the Raiders with 1:45 left. Carr finds Ruggs on a crossing route, which puts them in field goal range. Daniel Carlson kicks a 43-yard field goal as time expires to win the game.
Final Score: Broncos 28, Raiders 31
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