The AFC West has been one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL this season. Two teams with identical records will hash it out on Sunday afternoon: the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders.
NFL betting odds for their matchup show that it could come down to the wire.
Let’s take a look at the scoring potential of the home team for this game in Week 16.
Las Vegas Raiders (-110)
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 26th
- Time: 4:25 PM EST on CBS
- Venue: Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, NV
- Participants: Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders
This week, the Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) will host the Denver Broncos (7-7). This game has the potential to define the Raiders’ season.
Las Vegas occupies the 10th seed in the AFC playoff picture. They are one of four teams in the conference with a 7-7 record.
Their next two games will be on the road at the Indianapolis Colts and in Las Vegas against another divisional rival, the Los Angeles Chargers. So, a Raiders’ win at home is crucial this week.
In Week 15, the Raiders faced a COVID-19-depleted Cleveland Browns team in Ohio. They totaled 328 total yards of offense, averaging five yards per play.
Derek Carr completed 25 out of 38 passes for 236 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Josh Jacobs carried the ball 15 times for 52 yards without a score, and the only touchdown came from a five-yard pass to Bryan Edwards on the Raiders’ opening drive.
Carr led the offense on a 50-yard drive with less than two minutes remaining at the end of the game. Two long passes to Zay Jones set up a 48-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson on the game’s last play, giving the Raiders a 16-14 victory.
Las Vegas (-1.5) is a slight favorite this week against Denver. But how do these two teams match up?
Broncos vs. Raiders
The Broncos and Raiders last met in Week 6. Carr had an outstanding performance, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Jacobs had a rushing touchdown on top of 16 carries for 53 yards.
The Raiders intercepted Teddy Bridgewater three times, leading to a 34-24 victory. They had 426 yards of total offense and averaged 8.2 yards per play.
In Week 16, the Raiders passing offense looks a bit different. The team has averaged 17.8 points per game in their previous five matchups. That’s about the same as the points given up by the Broncos on average in their last five games (18).
Denver’s defense is tied for second in the NFL for points allowed this season, while Las Vegas’ defense ranks 30th. The Broncos have given up 17 passing touchdowns, the fourth-best in the league. The Raiders have allowed a seventh-worst 25 passing touchdowns.
The Broncos also have the 11th-best rushing defense (106.6 yards per game), while the Raiders rank 25th (122.7).
Denver has only allowed seven rushing touchdowns this season, tied in first place with the New England Patriots in that category. Las Vegas has given up 15 rushing touchdowns.
The Broncos are 3-3 in their last six games, while the Raiders are 2-4.
Las Vegas has only scored more than 16 points once in their last seven games. They’ll need their offense to perform better if they want to win this game and remain in the hunt for the playoffs.
Prediction: Broncos 23, Raiders 20
Las Vegas Raiders at Home in Week 16
What do you think? How many points can the Las Vegas Raiders score at home against the Denver Broncos in Week 16?
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