Raiders at Broncos Betting Pick: Week 1

The Las Vegas Raiders start the 2023 NFL season at the AFC West Denver Broncos. Check out our top picks and predictions.

Kickoff for this matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos is set for 4:25 PM ET. The game will be played in Denver, CO at Empower Field at Mile High with CBS carrying television coverage.

The odds for this week 1 AFC West matchup have the Broncos as the 4 point favorites at home. Are they a lock to cover vs. the Raiders? Read on to find out.

Betting Odds for Broncos vs. Raiders

  • Spread: Raiders +4 | Broncos -4
  • Total: 44
  • MoneyLine: Raiders +162 | Broncos -202

Why You Should Bet on the Broncos

The Broncos are gearing up for the season, looking to improve on their last place finish in the AFC-West which put them 14th in the AFC. Denver’s cumulative record stood at 5-12, which included going 1-8 on the road and 4-4 when playing on their own turf. When facing divisional opponents, the Broncos achieved a 1-5 record.

Last season, the Broncos were 3-5 vs. the spread at home and 4-5 on the road. Overall, they were favored in eight of their 17 games, going 3-5 straight-up and 1-7 ATS. As the underdog, they were 6-3 vs. the spread. Denver wrapped up the season with an over/under record of 6-11.

Last season, Russell Wilson completed 60.5% of his passes for a total of 3524 yards. For the season, he finished 13th among QB’s in passing yards and 12th in touchdowns (16). Wilson’s passer rating for the season was 84.4 (40th).

Heading into the game, the Broncos have Javonte Williams listed as the number one running back on the depth chart. Williams is entering his 3rd season and finished with 204 rushing yards last season. Quarterback Russell Wilson actually led the team in rushing attempts last season and finished with 277 yards.

When looking at the team’s wide receiver group, the Broncos are returning last year’s two most productive players. Jerry Jeudy caught 67 balls for 972 yards last season. Courtland Sutton finished with 829 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Why You Should Bet on the Raiders

The Raiders are entering the new season after a previous campaign that saw them end with an overall record of 6-11. Within the AFC-West, Las Vegas finished 3rd with a record of 3-3 record when facing divisional opponents. At home the Raiders concluded with a 4-4 record, and they went 2-7 on the road.

Las Vegas ended last season with an over/under record of 8-8-1 and finished with an average scoring differential of -1.4. Against the spread, the Raiders went 8-9, including 5-3 ATS at home and 3-6 on the road. For the season, Las Vegas was favored 10 times.

Jimmy Garoppolo comes over to the Raiders after playing for the 49ers last season. In the 2022-2023 season, he finished with a passer rating of 103.0 and threw for 2437 yards in 11 games. Garoppolo’s touchdown to interception ratio for the season was 16/4.

In the backfield, the Raiders are welcoming back Josh Jacobs who is the team’s top returning running back in terms of attempts and is coming off a season in which he finished with 1653 rushing yards and averaged 4 yards per attempt. Jacobs is entering his 5th season in the league.

Jimmy Garoppolo will be relying on Davante Adams, who led the Raiders’ wide receiver group last season with 1516 receiving yards while hauling in 14 touchdowns.

Final Prediction & Where To Bet

Since the lines have opened, the Broncos have moved from -3.5 point favorites to their current line of -4 (-110). The Raiders are currently +4 (-110) point underdogs on the road.

For this week’s matchup between the Broncos and Raiders, I’m taking the Raiders at +4. Last year, the Broncos were a below .500 team vs. the spread and I like the value that the Raiders present at +4.

  • BetByState Expert Pick: Raiders +4

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