NFL Football

2025-11-06 - Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos

A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown

Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos
United States : NFL Week 10
Thursday 6th November 2025 - Scheduled 8:15pm
1:15am (British Time)

Preview

As we move into the third quarter of the regular season, you would have to suggest that every Divisional leader in the AFC standings is something of a surprise.

Out in the AFC West, the Denver Broncos (7-2) have the chance to become the first team in the NFL to reach eight wins for the season as they lead the way in the Division ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. They have won all four home games played this season, although the Broncos are 2-2 against the spread to ruin what had been a perfect record for Quarter Back Bo Nix when it has come to covering as the home favourite, and Sean Payton's team are big favourites to earn another victory at Mile High.

Thursday Night Football brings together this AFC West against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) who have traded away Jakobi Meyers having failed to convert a two point try to win the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. This means the first year with Head Coach Pete Carroll and Quarter Back Geno Smith has not gone to plan and the ambition the rest of the way is to make sure they at least match the four wins that were secured in the 2024 season.

Las Vegas do have a surprising road win over the New England Patriots on the resume, the current AFC East Divisional leaders, but three road games played since then have been hard to watch. Not only have the Raiders lost those three games, but the margin of the defeats have been 17, 34 and 31 points and that has to be a concern on the short week.

Of course they are facing a Denver team that have needed big Fourth Quarter heroics to win four of their last five games in this six game winning run.

Sean Payton will be keen to have some of the drama removed from this game so the Broncos have a win on the board and can then rest up and prepare for a big game with the Kansas City Chiefs back in this Stadium in Week 11. That means needing Bo Nix to use some of the Fourth Quarter magic much earlier in the game and it should be noted that Denver have blown out Cincinnati and Dallas here.

The key will be the Line of Scrimmage when the Broncos have the ball- this Offensive Line have been strong up front and opened up some big running lanes for the team, including Bo Nix at Quarter Back, but the challenge is going to be facing up to this Raiders Defensive Line.

As poor as an overall season it has been, the Raiders have been able to play the run pretty well and they have allowed 3.8 yards per carry in the last three games. However, the amount of points being allowed in road games is partly down to the issues Las Vegas have had in stopping the run when playing on the road and so there is going to be a real confidence amongst the Denver Offensive Linemen that they can impose their will on the opponent.

If they can do that, Bo Nix should be able to have a strong game throwing the ball to his talented Receivers.

He has been given time when dropping back to do that and the Raiders Secondary is one that can be exploited by the Broncos.

Bo Nix has not been the most consistent performer this season, but he has been more comfortable at home and this should be an 'easier' game to perform in than it will be for Geno Smith Quarter Backing the Las Vegas Raiders.

Unlike his opposite number, Geno Smith is unlikely to be able to lean on the Offensive Line and look to produce from third and manageable spots on the field. The Raiders have been struggling to run the ball all season and that issue has been really evident in recent games, while in Week 10 they are going up against a strong Denver Defensive Line that has been able to clamp down on the run.

It has shifted a lot of pressure onto the Quarter Back and Geno Smith may be having to deal with a group of Broncos who will be allowed to pin back their ears and get after him in obvious passing situations. Time is likely to run out pretty quickly and that is where the Raiders are going to be struggling without veterans like Jakobi Meyers.

Turnovers could be in play when Geno Smith looks to throw the ball and Denver are likely going to focus on trying to slow down Brock Bowers and force others to step up and beat them. The Broncos are without Patrick Surtain II in the Secondary, but pressure up front against a team that is expected to struggle to run the ball can cover up the hole left in the absence of one of the top Defensive Backs in the NFL.

Last season the Denver Broncos ended their long losing run to the Las Vegas Raiders by beating them twice and both in double digit wins.

The Broncos have failed to cover in their last four Thursday Night games against AFC West opponents, but they can snap that here with the Offensive unit likely to be much more consistent than the Raiders.

This is a big spread and especially when you think of how close recent Denver games have been, even if they have kept winning. However, they have won by margins of 8, 25, 1 and 24 points when playing at home this season and the three straight road blowouts suffered by the Raiders suggests that the Broncos can focus for long enough to secure another double digit win over Las Vegas.