The 2019 schedule has been revealed for all 32 teams and the Denver Broncos are early underdogs at Oakland vs the Raiders.
Week One of the 2019 NFL season is a long ways away, but with the schedule coming out on Wednesday evening, it allows odds makers to provide odds for the first game of the year. The Denver Broncos are underdogs again.
According to OddsShark’s books, the Broncos start the season at Oakland and are 3-point underdogs against one of their division opponents.
In OddsShark’s “Edge Finder” feature, the Broncos are favored in the following categories:
Total Score: 20.56-18.12
Rushing Yards: 119.19-101.75
Number of Plays: 63.44-62.19
Yards Per Play: 5.52-5.41
The Raiders are favored in passing yards (234.44-230.94) and Time on Field (30:59-28:57).
Last season in two games vs the Raiders, then-quarterback Case Keenum threw for a combined 424 yards, and the Broncos as a team ran for 268 yards.
With a new coaching staff, as well as a new starting quarterback, it will be interesting to see what the Broncos’ pass-run ratio will be like. I could see them being better at using the run to set up the pass now that they have a better quarterback than last season.
Joe Flacco missed a lot of time last year and was benched for Lamar Jackson, but he says that he is healthy now. Hopefully he stays healthy throughout the entire season. That sort of thing is tricky as a 30+ year old athlete.
I love the additions the Broncos have made so far this offseason and I feel like they are going to outmatch Oakland, especially Denver’s offense vs Oakland’s defense. Oakland recorded just thirteen sacks in 2018. The Broncos addition of Ja’Wuan James at right tackle should help keep the Raiders from getting to Flacco a bunch.
Oakland gave up 36 touchdowns through the air in 2018. Hopefully the Broncos offense can dial up great plays through the air and expose Oakland.
The Broncos are often considered the underdogs. That is the way they like it, however. We will see what the odds say later down the road when the season inches closer, but right now, Denver is projected to start the season with a loss.