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NFL Free Pick: Oakland vs. Denver Betting Lines & Preview

Raiders vs Broncos Free Pick

NFL Week 17 Regular Season action sees the Oakland Raiders taking on the Denver Broncos on Sunday, December 28 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Cappers Picks provides free *NFL*handicapping tips all season long.

The Oakland Raiders will try for their first two game win streak in two years in Week 17 but it won’t be easy.

NFL Week 17 Betting Lines

Oakland (3-12) at Denver (11-4)
When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, December 28, 2014
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Broadcast: CBS
Raiders NFL Betting Odds: +14 -115
Broncos NFL Betting Odds: -14 -105
NFL Over/Under Betting Odds: 48
***2014 NFL BONUSES***
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In their way is a Denver Broncos team that will be uber-motivated after losing in shocking fashion in Cincinnati last week. Is a final week upset on the horizon or will the Broncos bounce back and gain a little momentum as we head into the playoffs?

Here’s a look.

Raiders

The Oakland Raiders have won three games! Yippee? They have been playing better in the second part of the 2014 season and are coming off a 26-24 win over the previously hot Buffalo Bills. The Bills came into the game looking as though they could make a little noise in the AFC playoffs but the Raiders made their defense look average.

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Derek Carr has been pretty good this season in his rookie year considering the lack of talent surrounding him. That said the Raiders offense is averaging 15.9 points and 287.7 yards per game. Carr has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions but hasn’t gotten a whole lot of help from an underwhelming receiving corp. The running game had been poor as well until the emergence of Latavius Murray who has 333 rushing yards and two scores on 62 carries in his last four games.

Murray wasn’t part of the game plan when the teams first met this season and Derek Carr had just 192 yards passing, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. Murray should take some pressure off Carr this time around against a Denver run defense that has been gashed of late and got eaten up to the tune of 207 yards against on the ground Monday night.

The Raiders defense has played better at times as the season has rolled along but they still allow 27 points and 351.3 yards per game with a minus 14 turnover ratio.

They did pick Peyton Manning off twice in the first meeting and they will catch Peyton playing arguably his worst ball of the season for what it’s worth.

Broncos

The Denver Broncos missed out on a chance to challenge for home field advantage in the AFC playoffs with a 37-28 loss last week.

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It’s not that they lost last week – it’s the way they lost that left the team scratching their heads. Peyton Manning threw four interceptions and the team allowed 37 points to a previously struggling Cincinnati offense.

This week Peyton gets a crack at an Oakland team he threw five TDs against – 340 yards in that game. Hopes are that Oakland can cure Peyton’s recent ails and that he can get back on track before the playoffs.

The Broncos offense is averaging 29 points and 399.7 yards per game – fourth best in the NFL. Peyton Manning has completed 66.8 percent of his passes with 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Demaryius Thomas has 103 catches and 11 touchdowns and Emmanuel Sanders has 95 catches and nine touchdowns and Julius Thomas should get his share of looks as well – all are healthy and all should be ready to terrorize in the final game of the season.

C.J. Anderson is the Broncos leading rusher with 620 yards and five touchdowns. He will likely be leaned on heavily – he has 561 yards and five scores in the past five weeks, had 90 yards on 13 carries in the first meeting of the year and has been critical in keeping defenses honest. It was when Denver went away from Anderson last week that the team struggled – don’t expect that mistake again.

Perhaps the most important part of Denver’s game that needs to get going is the defense and special teams – both looked leaky last week – not good enough as we head into the playoffs. The Broncos defense allows 22.7 points and 312.3 yards per game and they are plus four in turnover ratio but have not been great the last few weeks.

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They recorded only one sack in the first meeting between the teams – the pass rush was non-existent last week against Andy Dalton and the Bengals. Sunday’s game is a huge tune-up for the Denver D – they absolutely have to get back to dominating as they have done a good part of the season.

NFL Week 17 Betting Trends

• DEN are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games in December.
• Under is 6-2 in DEN last 8 vs. AFC West.
• DEN are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games on grass.
• Road team is 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 meetings.
• Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

The Broncos are undefeated so far this season at home. You’d have to think that they are going to want to show their best in this game. Denver absolutely needs a complete team effort before the playoffs start.

4* Free NFL Week 17 Betting Prediction

Momentum is on the line for Denver – Sunday’s game is far more important to them than the Raiders.

The Broncos to make a statement and cover the 14 points.

Check out our Updated NFL Week 17 Odds.

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By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.