‘Thursday Night Football’ prediction, odds, start time: Raiders vs. Broncos picks from expert on 8-2 run

The Denver Broncos will look to win their seventh consecutive game when they take on the AFC West-rival Las Vegas Raiders on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Denver is coming off an 18-15 win at Houston on Sunday, while Las Vegas dropped a 30-29 overtime decision to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Raiders (2-6), who have lost two in a row, are 1-3 on the road this season. The Broncos (7-2), who lead the AFC West by one game over the Los Angeles Chargers, are 4-0 on their home field.

Kickoff from Empower Field at Mile High in Denver is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Las Vegas leads the all-time series 73-56-2, but Denver has won the last two meetings. The Broncos are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Raiders vs. Broncos odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 42.5 via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Broncos vs. Raiders picks, be sure to check out what SportsLine expert Zack Cimini has to say. 

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A Las Vegas handicapper who’s never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Cimini was profitable in the NFL (35-25-4, +$727) last season, and he’s on an 8-2 roll (+585) on his picks involving the Raiders. Anyone following him at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns. 

Now, Cimini has zoned in on Raiders vs. Broncos. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL betting lines and NFL odds for Broncos vs. Raiders:

Why the Broncos can cover

Quarterback Bo Nix powers the Denver offense. In nine games this season, he has completed 197 of 322 passes (61.2%) for 1,976 yards and 17 touchdowns with six interceptions. He has also rushed 42 times for 207 yards (4.9 average) and three touchdowns. In a 28-3 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 29, he completed 29 of 42 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He also rushed for one touchdown.

His top target in the passing game is veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton. In nine games, he has 38 receptions for 566 yards (14.9 average) and four touchdowns. He has 10 explosive plays of 20 or more yards, including a long of 52, with 154 yards after the catch and 27 first-down conversions. In a 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 21, he caught six passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why the Raiders can cover

Las Vegas may be a little shorthanded after trading wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday. Quarterback Geno Smith leads the offense, completing 164 of 243 passes (67.5%) for 1,664 yards and 11 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He is also the Raiders’ second-leading rusher, carrying 27 times for 81 yards, including one explosive play of 20 yards. In Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville, he completed 29 of 39 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

Without Meyers, wide receiver Tre Tucker will look to step up even further in the passing game. In eight games, he has 32 receptions for a team-high 427 yards and four touchdowns. He has six explosive plays, including a long of 61, with 189 yards after the catch and 19 first-down conversions. In a 41-24 loss at Washington on Sept. 21, he caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine.

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How to make Raiders vs. Broncos picks

For Thursday Night Football’s matchup, Cimini is leaning under the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who covers in Broncos vs. Raiders and what critical x-factor do you need to know about? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Raiders vs. Broncos spread you need to jump, all from the expert who returned $585 to $100 players over his last 10 Las Vegas Raiders picks, and find out.