NFL Picks Week 9: Oakland Raiders QB Carson Palmer Struggles as a Favorite

The Denver Broncos (2-5) and Oakland Raiders (4-3) are ready to square off for the second time this season, and quarterback Carson Palmer will look to complete the divisional sweep in his first start in over 10 months.

Oddsmakers have established the Raiders as 7.5-point home favorites, and the total has dropped 2.5 points to settle in at 42.5.

Currently, Oakland is receiving over 70 percent of the straight-bet wagering in this AFC West contest, with Palmer set to face off against Denver Broncos' second-year signal-caller Tim Tebow.

Bettors should definitely temper expectations for another week, with the Raiders losing eight consecutive games following a bye in straight-up and against-the-spread fashion.

To make matters worse, Palmer checks in with a 17-30-1 ATS record as a favorite, something that some will discount due to all prior occurrences happening during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's still significant.

Las Vegas certainly read the press clippings of some members of the offense staying behind in the Bay Area and working together during the bye week. After all, Palmer completed just 8-of-21 passes for 116 yards and three interceptions when replacing Kyle Boller in a 28-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as 3.5-point home favorites in Week 7.

With star running back Darren McFadden being listed as doubtful with a foot injury, the public would be best served to wait in backing this team at the betting window.

The road team in this rivalry is on a 6-1 ATS run, while the underdog has cashed in eight of the previous 11 meetings.