Thursday Night Football returns with a classic AFC West matchup as the Broncos (7-2) host the Raiders (2-6) in Denver. The Broncos are trying to protect their division lead by taking care of business against a struggling Raiders team.
Denver comes in riding a six-game win streak, tied with the Patriots for the longest in the league, and finally looks like the team many expected to see earlier in the season. It has not all been smooth, as they needed a 33-point fourth quarter comeback to stun the Giants and a last-second field goal to get past the Stroud-less Texans.
The Raiders are still trying to dig out of a rough start and are coming off an overtime loss to Jacksonville. Second-year tight end Brock Bowers was a bright spot with three touchdowns, but their playoff hopes are fading quickly in a tough division.
For the second straight week, this might not be the most exciting primetime matchup on paper, but there are still plenty of ways to make it interesting from a betting standpoint.
Denver opens as a 9.5-point favorite at home, with the total sitting around 42.5 points across Colorado’s top betting apps.
Let’s start with my game pick before moving into some of the best player props for Thursday night.
Game Pick: Raiders +9.5
This is a tough line to pick. Moving it up to Raiders +10.5 feels like the safer play since I prefer spreads that align with common football margins such as 3, 7, 10, 13, or 14. Even so, I think the Raiders can cover 9.5 on Thursday. As mentioned earlier, the Broncos have struggled against a few opponents they should have handled more easily. The Raiders also have some extra motivation after losing on a two-point conversion last week. If their offense can carry over the momentum from that game and Denver’s offense looks anything like it did against Houston, the Raiders have a real shot to stay within the number.
Bo Nix Over 217.5 Passing Yards (-113)
Nix struggled last week against a tough Texans defense. He put up 173 yards on just 18/37 completions. He certainly will complete more than 50% of his passes, unlike in that matchup. The Raiders’ defense should seem like a walk in the park compared to the one he just played. Bo is averaging just under 220 YPG on the season, and the only reason I could see him going under that is if the game is a blowout and he doesn’t need to pass.
RJ Harvey Over 38.5 Rush + Rec Yards (-115)
As the season progresses, RJ Harvey will continue to get more and more work. JK Dobbins was dominating the touch split early on, but he hasn’t been too impressive as of late. Harvey has shown he is explosive as a ball carrier and pass catcher, but it has been hard to predict which area he will get action. For that reason, I love the rushing + receiving combo. All it takes is one or two chunk plays that Harvey is capable of making, and he can crush this line.
Brock Bowers Over 6.5 Receptions (+119)
I am honestly surprised to see that this prop offers positive odds. Coming off an injury that kept him sidelined for a significant time, the Raiders immediately leaned on their top target. Bowers had 12 receptions last week, to go along with 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. Of his props, I like receptions the best. Denver has a great pass rush, so Geno is going to need to find his safety blanket quickly and often. Plus, the Raiders just shipped Jacoby Meyers to Jacksonville, leaving them with one less option for pass catchers.
Total Odds on 3-leg SGP: +550
Since I don’t love either side of the game spread this week, I will only be parlaying the props that I chose. I like a 3-leg same game parlay this week, in a game that can be harder to predict due to a big spread.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Running total:
Game Picks ATS: 2-0
Player Props: 3-3
Last Week’s Results:
Ravens -7.5 ✅
Tagovailoa O 0.5 Int ✅
Gordon O 18.5 Rushing Yards ❌
Hopkins O 17.5 Receiving Yards ❌
By Jake Koehler
Jake is a sports betting writer at BettingApps.com, covering the latest sportsbook news, app reviews, promos, and betting features across the NFL and beyond. For the rest of the season, he will provide weekly analysis, predictions, and updates to help readers make smarter bets and stay ahead of the game.
