Online sportsbooks players fond of making playoff seeding predictions will agree that the AFC West might just about be the toughest division in professional football. With two teams that qualified for last year’s playoffs and 2015’s Super Bowl champion, it’s undeniable that the AFC West is a tough place to get a win. And when two of its best competitors face off, it makes for some mighty good football.
So when the Denver Broncos host the Oakland Raiders this upcoming Sunday, you can bet that every sportsbook betting fan in the country will be tuning in. It’s not just AFC West bragging rights that are on the line as whoever loses this contest will lose some much needed ground in the playoff race within the division. At 2-1, the Raiders and Broncos are both a step behind the 3-0 Chiefs and whoever loses this Sunday will slip even further behind. As things currently stand, the offshore sportsbook betting lines are siding with the Denver Broncos, with Intertops sportsbook setting the money line at -150.
Denver is coming off their first loss of the season at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos were favored in that contest as well but ended up coming short 26-16. The result was somewhat unprecedented as the Bills were unproven up until this point and Denver was coming off a massive 42-17 routing of the Dallas Cowboys. Alternatively, if you happen to think that the road team will come out on top this weekend, you can always try your luck on the +130 odds available on the underdog Raiders.
However, Oakland is also coming off of their first loss of the season. The Raiders faced the Washington Redskins this past weekend and to everyone’s surprise, Oakland was upset 27-10. The biggest setback the Black and Silver suffered on the day was at the quarterback position. Carr only completed 18 passes on the day and averaged 3.8 yards per completion. Carr finished the day with 118 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Considering that both teams are coming off losses this past weekend, NFL betting fans might want to stick to spread on this one.
The sportsbook betting lines currently have the Broncos pegged at -3 on the spread line with a -105 payout. Considering the payout on the money line is -150, you’re actually not getting that much of a benefit on the spread on this one. The Raiders are averaging 27.0 points per game while the Broncos are putting up 27.3. Defensively Oakland is allotting 21.0 points per contest and Denver usually gives up 21.3 (what an odd coincidence). The Raiders are 2-1 against the spread this season while the Broncos have posted a 1-1-1 record ATS in the 2017 season.
"You just have to get him on the ground." – @VonMiller on slowing down @MoneyLynch#BroncosIn60https://t.co/wKQfKzfB53
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 29, 2017
The total line on this contest is set at 46 for this AFC West matchup. However, there is some slight variance on the payout, with the over line on the Broncos offering a more lucrative reward. This could change in the coming days so make sure to keep checking the NFL betting line.
