For the first time in a long time, a game between the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos has experts split and both teams are fighting to be a postseason contender.
Broncos vs. Raiders 2015 picks and predictions: Oakland on the rise makes things interesting
The Broncos have seven straight wins over the Raiders, but a recent resurgence for Oakland has some experts thinking Denver will be dealt its first loss of the season.
Still, it’s familiar territory with the Broncos undefeated at the top of the AFC West and the rest of the teams chasing the defending champions. The last seven matchups between the Raiders and Broncos went in Denver’s favor, but these aren’t the same teams that have been on the opposite sides of the spectrum for the last decade.
With Derek Carr off to a great start and talented young weapons on the Raiders offense like Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray, the Raiders may actually be the real deal, or at the very least, heading in the right direction. And while the Broncos are 4-0, Peyton Manning has struggled to start the year and the Denver offense is No. 27 in the NFL.
The Raiders are No. 11 in points scored and No. 4 in rushing yards per attempt, so the pressure is on Denver’s top-ranked defense to bring that momentum to a stop and help the Broncos improve to 5-0.
All eight experts at CBS Sports believe that’s exactly what will happen, and they are each taking the Broncos to remain undefeated. Things aren’t unanimous at ESPN, where nine experts are taking the Broncos and four are going with the Raiders.
Things are much closer here at SB Nation where three experts are taking the Raiders and four are taking the Broncos. The OddsShark computer evens the picks at four for each side with its prediction of an Oakland victory.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark Computer | |
| DEN @ OAK | OAK | DEN | DEN | OAK | DEN | OAK | DEN | OAK |
See More:
