Broncos vs. Raiders Picks, Odds, & NFL Predictions
September 7, 2008
Monday Sept. 8th, the Denver Broncos head to Oakland to play the Raiders, in a classic showdown between two AFC West rivals that simply hate each other. This game is part of a special double-header on Monday Night Football, as this game follows the Packers Vikings matchup. As it stands now the Broncos are 3 point favorites to win, but with the line always subject to change, we recommend keeping an eye on our live NFL odds page.
Current Odds at JustBet.com
Broncos -3 (-105)
Raiders +3 (-115)
Last year both these teams failed to make the playoffs, as they were a part of the dismal AFC West, where the Chargers were the only team to finish above .500. The Broncos won just 7 games, while the Raiders shared the bottom of the division with the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams are hoping to really show some improvement this season, and it all starts on the big stage Monday night.
The Broncos offense is hoping that this is the year the Jay Cutler shows everyone why they have so much faith in this guy to lead them in the same way No. 7 (John Elway) did back in the day. The team did way with receiver Javon Walker, and are hoping the additions of Darrell Jackson and rookie Eddie Royal to go along with returning starter Brandon Marshall can make this team explosive through the air. The team will have to go without Marshall in this one, as he serves his one game suspension. Selvin Young looks like the next great back to be produced by Denver’s great run blocking scheme. It should be a good test to see if this unit can beat up on a Raiders team that was not so impressive last season. Bet Broncos -3 at JustBet.com
For the Raiders many new faces will be seen on this side of the ball, as former No. 1 overall pick, quarterback JaMarcus Russell gets his first shot at leading this team on opening day. The team also added a big boost to the running game, when they took Darren McFadden with the No.4 overall pick in this years draft. McFadden should be a great compliment to last year’s starter Justin Fargas, who works about as hard as anyone to get where he is. The Raiders were able to land Walker in free agency, and he will get a chance to show the Broncos what they let go. The line remains pretty solid, so it will be interesting to see what kind of look this unit shows us to start the season. Bet Raiders +3 at JustBet.com
The Broncos run defense was pretty much non-existent last season, and if that has to improve if this team is going to win more than 7 games this season. The Broncos are hoping that the addition of tackle Dewayne Robertson and linebacker Boss Bailey will be the key to getting it done. The team is hoping that by moving D.J. Williams back to the outside it will allow him to have a big season, as he just looked out of place at middle linebacker. Denver still has two of the best corners in the game in Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, but two new safeties will start after John Lynch was let go. Marlon McCree is expected to take over at free safety, while Marquand Manuel takes over at strong safety.
The Raiders defense was once a physical unit that many teams wanted nothing to do with, but that wasn’t the case in 2007 when they allowed teams to score all over them. Part of that was due to a shaky offense that kept them on the field, but talent played a roll as well. The Raiders defensive line did lose Warren Sapp to retirement, and they are hoping that the veteran duo of Tommy Kelly and Gerald Warren can stuff up the middle. At linebacker the team has some talent, and it lookes like the speedy outside backer Thomas Howard is primed for a big season, while the team is hoping that middle backer Kirk Morrison can nab some more tackles closer to the line of scrimmage and not down field. In the secondary the Raiders made a pretty solid upgrade at corner with the addition of DeAngelo Hall who will team up with Nnamdi Asomugha to shut down the Broncos receivers. Gabriel Wilson comes in to start at strong safety, while Michael Huff moves over to free safety.
Predicted Score:
Broncos 22
Raiders 19
If you want to know who to take on Monday Night Football,head over to professional handicapper Jason Lowry’s page today. Also if you want to see what others are saying about the game, check out these great Broncos Raiders predictions.
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