by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2021
Game Time: 4:25 pm ET, Sunday, December 26, 2021
Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Broncos +1.5, Raiders -1.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Broncos +1, Raiders -1; Over/Under: 41.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Broncos +1.5, Raiders -1.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Season Record
Denver Broncos: 7-7 (4th place, AFC West)
Las Vegas Raiders: 7-7 (3rd place, AFC West)
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Denver Broncos vs Las Vegas Raiders Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
Denver Broncos: lost at home on Dec. 19 against the Cincinnati Bengals 15-10.
Las Vegas Raiders: won on the road on Dec. 20 against the Cleveland Browns 16-14.
Denver Broncos Analysis
The Broncos are coming into this game with a 7-7 record overall and they are 3-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 4th divisional matchup of the year and they are currently 1-2 in their division games this season, including a loss at home to the Raiders earlier this season. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games and they are coming into this one off of a loss in their last game. Their last win was against the Detroit Lions while their 2 losses came against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals in their last game. Teddy Bridgewater completed 12/22 passes for 98 yards before leaving the game with an injury. Drew Lock came in to replace him and completed 6/12 passes for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. Javonte Williams led the team in rushing with 72 yards on 15 carries while Melvin Gordon also had 15 carries for 53 yards. Albert Okwuegbunam led the receivers with 58 yards on 3 receptions while Noah Fant led the team in receptions with 5 for 57 yards. Tim Patrick caught the lone touchdown pass in that one as well. Jonas Griffith led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 1 assisted one. Justin Simmons led the defense in sacks in that game with 2 while no one on the defense was able to come up with an interception in that one. They have scored 285 points in their 14 games this season averaging 20.4 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 243 points against them allowing 17.4 PPG. Their offense is averaging 341.2 YPG while their defense is allowing 319.4 YPG.
Las Vegas Raiders Analysis
The Raiders are coming into this game with a 7-7 record overall and they are 3-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 5th divisional game on their schedule this year and they are currently 1-3 in their division games this season. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games but they are coming off of a win in their last game which snapped a 2 game losing streak that they were on. Their 2 losses were against the Washington Football Team and the Kansas City Chiefs while their win came against the Cleveland Browns in their last game. Derek Carr completed 25/38 passes for 236 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in that one. Josh Jacobs led the team in rushing with 52 yards on 15 carries. Zay Jones led the receivers with 67 yards on 6 receptions while Foster Moreau had 65 yards on 7 receptions. Bryan Edwards caught the lone touchdown pass in that one. Johnathan Abram led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 3 assisted ones. No one on the defense recorded a sack or came up with an interception for them in that one. They have scored 299 points in their 14 games this season averaging 21.4 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 374 points against them allowing 26.7 PPG. Their offense is averaging 369.3 YPG while their defense is allowing 348 YPG.
Broncos vs Raiders Prediction
The Raiders are coming into this game as a 1.5 point favorite with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Raiders have not been playing well in their recent games but they have been staying above the water and are still in this playoff race. The Broncos are also still in it but they just lost their quarterback to another injury in their last game and if Bridgewater does not play they are going to struggle to score. The Broncos are a better team and have been playing better but with this injury making their season even harder than it already has been, that might just be the end of the line for the Broncos here. The best bet to place in this game is on the Raiders to cover the spread here and win this game straight up on the moneyline as they are the healthier team.
Broncos Raiders Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, December 26, 2021 (4:25 pm ET start time) is Raiders 24 Broncos 13.
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NFL Betting Trends
Denver Broncos: 5-13 O/U in games where the line is +3 to -3. 18-28 O/U in all games. 13-19 O/U as an underdog. 8-14 O/U in road games. 12-21 O/U against conference opponents. 5-10 O/U versus division opponents. 2-8 O/U off 1 or more consecutive unders.
Las Vegas Raiders: 61-94 ATS in games where the line is +3 to -3. 5-9 ATS in all games. 4-12 ATS as a favorite. 3-6 ATS as a home favorite. 2-5 ATS in home games. 9-16 ATS in games played on turf. 40-72 ATS in December games. 6-18 ATS off an extremely close road win by 3 points or less.
Key Injuries
Denver Broncos: T. Bridgewater (QB) Ques Sun - Concussion. A. Beck (FB) Out indefinitely - Elbow injury. M. Ojemudia (CB) Ques Sun - Hamstring injury.
Las Vegas Raiders: T. Gillespie (S) Ques Sun - Hamstring injury. D. Waller (TE) Ques Sun - Knee injury. D. Perryman (LB) Ques Sun - Ankle injury.
Notable Quotes
"I should've handed that thing off to Javonte. But also, if I run that thing into the end zone, make the defensive end miss, who knows what's being said right now?" - Drew Lock on their loss against the Bengals in their last game.
"It's been a long time coming to win a game like that in the end. We understand the situation we're in and what the playoff race looks like." - Rich Bisaccia on his team’s win against the Browns in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Denver Broncos
WR Sutton, Courtland
WR Patrick, Tim
TE Fant, Noah
TE Okwuegbunam, Albert
QB Bridgewater, Teddy
RB Williams, Javonte
Las Vegas Raiders
WR Jones, Zay
WR Edwards, Bryan
WR Renfrow, Hunter
TE Waller, Darren
QB CARR, DEREK
RB Jacobs, Josh
FB Smith, Sutton
Statistical Leaders
Denver Broncos
Passing: T. Bridgewater (3052)
Rushing: J. Williams (815)
Receiving: C. Sutton (670)
Touchdowns: M. Gordon III (9)
Las Vegas Raiders
Passing: D. Carr (4162)
Rushing: J. Jacobs (548)
Receiving: H. Renfrow (909)
Touchdowns: J. Jacobs (7)
Coaches:
Denver Broncos: Vic Fangio (3rd season)
Las Vegas Raiders: Rich Bisaccia (1st season Interim)
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
