An AFC West matchup between two squads who have not come close to living up to their pre-season expectations will square off with the basement of the division on the line as the Las Vegas Raiders take on the Denver Broncos at Mile High. It's time to take a look at our NFL odds series where our Raiders-Broncos prediction and pick will come true.

In year one of the Josh McDaniels experience, it has been an absolute nightmare, to say the least. With yet another gut-wrenching one-score loss to the Colts by a score of 25-20, survival will be the theme in this one as both coaches on each opposing side are arguably already on the hot seat at the halfway point of the season. Now at 2-7, the Raiders have at least defeated the Broncos in five straight contests including earlier in the season that acted as Las Vegas' first victory of the season.

With a one-game lead over Vegas in the division, the Broncos also went down in defeat by one score to the Titans on the road and now must be nearly flawless the rest of the way if they want even a little sniff at postseason play. Can head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Russell Wilson, and the rest of this scuffling offense finally figure things out?

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

NFL Odds: Raiders-Broncos Odds

Las Vegas Raiders: +2.5 (-104)

Denver Broncos: -2.5 (-118)

Over: 41.5 (-106)

Under: 41.5 (-114)

Why The Raiders Could Cover The Spread

The greatest argument in the Raiders' chances of covering the spread in the thin air of Denver, Colorado will be to look at the things Vegas did right in their win over the Broncos back on Oct. 2nd. While that seems like an eternity ago for both sides, the Raiders dominated the line of scrimmage in every way possible and ended up taming a wild Broncos defense that has been among the league's best all year long. When the dust settled in the first matchup, Las Vegas finished the day with 144 rushing yards from Josh Jacobs that also included a pair of touchdowns from the former Alabama standout.

In his career versus Denver, Jacobs has looked like an MVP candidate with three 100-yard games. Clearly, with Carr in for a difficult task in attacking a talented Broncos secondary vertically, it would be wise for Josh McDaniels to formulate a game plan that involves many opportunities for Jacobs and this offensive line to shine.

This could also prove to be a get-right game for a Raiders defense that is allowing 286 yards per game through the air. Obviously, the Broncos have struggled mightily in the passing game, and are even down a couple of receivers due to injury. With that being said, keep your eyes out on this specific matchup that may end up deciding who covers.

Why The Broncos Could Cover The Spread

Who could've possibly imagined that this offense would be so horrendous in 2022? Outside of this unit failing to live up to expectations and even somehow look worse than when QB Teddy Bridgewater was under center in 2021, a slew of injuries has also tormented Denver's chances of gelling altogether. With a league-high 15 players currently on IR, Denver needs some unlikely heroes on the roster to step up and find a way to give themselves a chance to cover the spread.

If the Broncos want to snap their five-game losing streak and come away with their first divisional win of the year, this banged-up offensive line needs to give Russell Wilson time to make some plays with his arm down the field. Throughout his entire career, Wilson has been dangerous in his deep ball ability, but with a lack of pass protection that led to the 33-year-old quarterback getting sacked a whopping six times, Denver won't stand much of a chance. In addition, the likely absences of wideouts Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler won't make life easier for a Denver offense that is posting a league-low 14.6 points per game.

With that being said, the Broncos have been such a frustrating squad due to the fact that they not only possess the worst offense in the league, but they arguably may have a top-three defensive unit in the entire NFL. For obvious reasons, this could and may have already created a divide in the locker room between the two sides, but it at least hasn't shown as of yet. On paper, the Broncos' defense could single handily put them over the top with their 16.6 points allowed per game and the fact that they are only surrendering 312 total yards per contest.

Final Raiders-Broncos Prediction & Pick

It is hard to imagine that either team can pull this off, as it would be quite hilarious if this AFC West matchup ends in a tie. However, if you are feeling lucky on Sunday, give the slight edge to the Broncos in a battle between two teams that are like shiny convertibles with no engines inside.

Final Raiders-Broncos Prediction & Pick: Broncos -2.5 (-118)