The final week of the regular season is here! The Denver Broncos will go toe-to-toe against the Las Vegas Raiders in an AFC West showdown. Let's check out our NFL odds series where our Broncos-Raiders prediction and pick will be revealed.

Despite defeating the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 16-9 last weekend, the Broncos saw their season go up in flames as they were eliminated from playoff contention for the eighth consecutive season which is the second-longest postseason drought in all of the NFL. Nevertheless, Denver comes into Week 18 with a dead-even 8-8 and still has a chance to finish above .500 for the first time since 2016.

On the other side of things, the Raiders have endured a spark with interim Antonio Pierce taking over as head coach halfway through the season, and there are plenty of reasons why the former linebackers coach could have a shot at officially being the head coach of the Raiders net season. However, until we get to that point, Las Vegas would want nothing more to extend their seven-game winning streak over Denver on Sunday afternoon.

Here are the Broncos-Raiders NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Broncos-Raiders Odds

Denver Broncos: +2.5 (-102)

Moneyline: +132

Las Vegas Raiders: -2.5 (-120)

Moneyline: -156

Over: 38.5 (-110)

Under: 38.5 (-110)

How to Watch Broncos vs. Raiders Week 18

Time: 4:25 ET/1:25 PT

TV: CBS

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial), NFL Sunday Ticket if out-of-market

Why The Broncos Could Cover The Spread

For better or for worse, the Broncos have been in the national headlines more often than not over the past couple of weeks, but they were at least able to overcome their own adversity by winning their final home game over the Chargers. With backup QB Jarrett Stidham taking over the starting reigns, can the former Auburn standout continue to showcase why he deserves to be considered for the starting gig in 2024?

Not only will Stidham need to play mistake-free football, but finding some unique ways to spark the offense will be critical. of course, whether it has been QB Russell Wilson or even Stidham as the starter last weekend, this Broncos offense has lacked explosiveness in more ways than one. Because of this, finding a way to get the running game going against an average Raiders defense will be much needed to keep Vegas on their toes. If the Raiders are forced to respect the Broncos' running game, then some deep shots will be available as the game progresses.

All in all, controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball could make or break the Broncos. Surprisingly enough, this offensive line remains one of the better units that professional football has to offer. However, they will have their hands full with the All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby continuing to wreck opposing offensive lines. Alas, the Broncos cannot let Crosby dictate this game if they want to finish the regular season with a winning record.

Why The Raiders Could Cover The Spread

Could the future be bright for Raiders Nation? Simply put, it hasn't been the type of season that Las Vegas wanted to experience in 2023, but Las Vegas seems to have plenty to look forward to for years to come.

For starters, the impressive coaching style of Mr. Antonio Pierce has instilled belief in a franchise that has fallen on hard times over the past decade-plus. Still, it seems that Pierce has the perfect personality to be the man at the helm, and the Raiders would be foolish not to consider hiring him full-time for 2024 and beyond.

With the expertise of Pierce and his excellence when it comes to rallying the troops, it'll be intriguing to watch how the Raiders come up with ways to continue to make rookie QB Aiden O'Connell comfortable within the offense. While the first-year signal caller from Purdue has shown rookie moments this year, he also has exhibited plenty of poise when called upon to make a big play. In fact, it was O'Connell who threw for a career-high 299 yards only a week ago in the narrow loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Whether it remains to be seen whether O'Connell can be a franchise quarterback or not, it will be up to his right arm to get the job done if the Raiders want to beat the Broncos yet again.

Last but not least, bettors should keep their eyes peeled on seeing if Vegas can win the turnover battle. More often than not in the NFL, teams that come out victorious often force turnovers and capitalize on them. Indeed, covering the spread will be a near guarantee if the Raiders can grab an edge in this department of the game.

Final Broncos-Raiders Prediction & Pick

In one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL, expect some craziness to occur during this AFC West showdown! At the end of the day, expect the Broncos to be focused and determined to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Raiders by getting off to a fast start and not looking back.

Final Broncos-Raiders Prediction & Pick: Broncos +2.5 (-102)