Pete Carroll’s first yr in Las Vegas has been a complete disappointment. The Raiders are sitting at 2-6, and now they’re on the street on Thursday night time for a Week 10 showdown with the Denver Broncos.
If the divisional conflict goes something just like the Raiders’ final two street video games, issues may get ugly. In Week 6, Carroll’s crew traveled to Indianapolis and suffered a 40-6 blowout loss in opposition to the Colts — their largest loss in 4 years. Two weeks later, the Chiefs handed Las Vegas their largest shutout loss since 2014 with a 31-0 end result.
The Raiders have misplaced two straight street video games by not less than 30 factors, and in the event that they lose by 30 or extra in Denver, that may make it three straight, which is nearly extraordinary within the NFL.
The final crew to lose three straight street video games by 30 factors or extra was the Buffalo Payments, who did it throughout a stretch that went from the tip of the 1984 season into the 1985 season, in keeping with CBS Sports activities Analysis. It is actually been 40 years since any crew has struggled like that on the street, and the Raiders may match them on Thursday.
The actual fact this sport is being performed in prime time most likely is not going to assist issues as a result of the Raiders have not received a street prime-time sport in eight years (their final win got here on Nov. 5, 2017). Since then, they’ve gone 0-7.
To make issues much more tough, the Raiders must face the most well liked crew within the NFL. The Broncos can be heading into Thursday’s sport on a six-game profitable streak, which is tied with the Patriots for the longest within the league. The Broncos have additionally received 9 straight house video games, which is the longest lively streak within the NFL and Denver’s longest house profitable streak since 2015 when it received Tremendous Bowl 50.
When you suppose the Broncos have an opportunity to beat the Raiders by not less than 30 factors, oddsmakers like FanDuel Sportsbook have priced these odds accordingly: Denver -29.5 is priced at +1100 (a $10 wager wins $110).
If the Raiders wish to cling to some kind of hope, the Broncos have misplaced 4 of their previous Thursday night time video games, so an upset is not unattainable. The Raiders are 9.5-point underdogs, however they may have an opportunity in Denver — and that is as a result of they acquired their not-so-secret weapon again final week: tight finish Brock Bowers.
Bowers returned in Week 9 with a monster efficiency throughout which he caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-29 loss to Jacksonville.
The Raiders are a totally completely different offense when he is within the lineup: Las Vegas has averaged 21.2 factors per sport when he is on the sector and eight.7 factors within the three video games he missed attributable to damage. That 21.2 common is huge this week, as a result of if the Raiders (2-6) can prime 20 factors in opposition to Denver, they will have a preventing likelihood: The Broncos are 5-0 after they maintain their opponent underneath 20 factors, however simply 2-2 after they give up 20 factors or extra.
