Las Vegas Raiders Vs. Denver Broncos Week 10 NFL Thursday Night Football Picks and Parlays

The Agony and the Maxx: Can the Raiders Find a Pulse After That OT Gut-Punch?

This Thursday, a myriad of painful questions will continue to beset Las Vegas Raiders fans as they face the Denver Broncos, as what exactly is happening with the Raiders at this point is rather simple: they’re a mess. Only a few days ago, Raider Nation collectively held their breath as the Raiders suffered a losing outing in a rather agonizing fashion in overtime as they fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars by a point, losing in a thriller that went until the bitter end by a score of 30-29. You’re talking about a tied game in overtime. They had a chance, they tied it in overtime, they had a shot to win, and what did they do to conclude this one? They went for two. They went for the whole enchilada, as Geno Smith’s pass broke out at the line of scrimmage.

Now, they've got to come around to play the Broncos, their bitter rivals, in a wintry weather opener in the AFC West. What makes this even tougher is that the Broncos are on a hot streak, a sizzling streak of seven straight victories. They're leading this division, managing to win in spite of a torn ACL suffered by last year's Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II, in a walk-off field goal victory over the Texans a week ago. The momentum is all Denver's, and the Raiders look like they’re running on fumes.

Speaking of that agonizing Jags loss, there are still whispers about what's next for Maxx Crosby. The man is clearly giving his absolute soul to the Silver and Black, making an emotional post-game promise to the fans that "It Will Change." But with the trade deadline looming—and this team sitting at a dismal 2-6—you have to wonder if a star like Crosby is really going to stick around for a complete rebuild. It's a huge distraction, and the defense needs to be all in to slow down this surging Broncos offense. 

Vegas has been allergic to moving the ball efficiently, and the Denver defense, even without Surtain, is playing lights-out football. The spread has the Broncos as nearly a double-digit favorite, which tells you everything you need to know about where these two franchises are headed. The Raiders need a miracle to pull this one out, and even a loss here might be the final nail in the 2025 season's coffin, maybe even leading to some big changes before Tuesday's deadline.

The Broncos are way out in front in this one, getting -475 on the moneyline. It's hard to imagine the Raiders pulling themselves together enough to prove everyone wrong. The Broncos are getting 9 points in this one, and the impending beat-down will be an easy catch for bettors.