The Denver Broncos (6-9) host the Oakland Raiders (7-8) Sunday in the final game of the regular season for both teams. The Raiders put an end to their four-game losing streak last week, and are still clinging on to playoff hopes. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET at Mile High Stadium. Below, we analyze the Raiders-Broncos sports betting odds and lines, while providing sports betting tips and advice on this Week 17 matchup.
Raiders at Broncos: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes
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- The Broncos are 4-3 straight up at home this season, and 5-2 against the spread. Overall, they are 9-6 ATS, and 6-2 in their last eight contests.
- The Raiders pulled off a pretty big upset a week ago but had failed to cover in their previous five games. They didn’t come within 10 points of covering in any of their four previous losses.
- The Raiders need a win, plus a lot of help elsewhere, in order to sneak into the playoffs. They need the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts to win.
- With Raiders RB Josh Jacobs out last week, DeAndre Washington stepped in and ran for 85 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Denver defense is middle of the pack in rush defense but has allowed just nine scores on the ground, tied for the sixth-fewest in the league.
- Broncos QB Drew Lock has led the team to three wins in four starts and has a nice matchup against a Raider defense allowing the eighth-most passing yards and third-most passing touchdowns. He’s averaging just 210.8 yards per game thus far.
Raiders at Broncos: Key injuries
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (shoulder) put in a limited practice Tuesday and is tentatively expected to return Sunday.
Raiders at Broncos: Odds, betting lines and prediction
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Broncos 26, Raiders 20
Moneyline (?)
The Raiders (+140) have the most on the line, but prior to their win against the Chargers, they had really been struggling. The four-game losing streak included a home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and back-to-back 31-point road losses to the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Broncos would love to play spoiler against their rival and are a good bet to pull this one off. But with so much at stake for Oakland, it’s best to PASS on the Broncos (-167) moneyline.
Against the Spread (?)
The Raiders have lost six of their last seven games in Denver. The Broncos have held their own since Lock took over, winning three of four games, with their lone loss a 23-3 defeat at Kansas City. We’ll give the BRONCOS (-3.5, +100) the edge in this one at plus-money to win by at least 4 points.
Over/Under (?)
The total is 41.5 points (Over: +100, Under: -121). The Under has hit in eight of 15 games for both teams. In recent action, the Under has hit in five of the last six for the Raiders, but it’s been the Over in three of the last four games for the Broncos. Lean to OVER 41.5 (+100), especially when factoring in the better odds with this side.
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