Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders: What Are Experts Saying About Denver?

The Denver Broncos are looking to rebound from a loss in Week 9 to the New England Patriots when they face their AFC West division rival Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Despite the loss to the Patriots, the Broncos are 6-2 and still sit atop the AFC West. The Raiders are looking up from the bottom, seeking their first win of the season.

Oakland leads the all-time series 60-47-2, but the Broncos have won the last five meetings by a total score of 172-78. They have not lost to Oakland with Peyton Manning at quarterback.

Take a look at what some of the experts are saying about this upcoming matchup.

Ben Swanson: Denver Won't Overlook Winless Raiders

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Denver is going to win this one going away, right?

Not so fast. The Broncos shouldn't get sucked into that belief, and as Ben Swanson of the team's official website writes, they won't:

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It's easy for anyone to overlook a team without a win, but the Broncos refuse to do that, and for good reason. For all the attention that their record gets, the Raiders have put up some pretty strong games. In New England they lost by a touchdown, and just this last week they lost in Seattle just by six points. Had they not given up a touchdown on an interception return, perhaps we could be talking about the 1-7 Raiders.

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This is a road game inside the division. Regardless of records, those are generally never easy. Sure, the Broncos are going to be eager to improve upon their results in New England, but the Raiders will be just as hungry to get their first win of the season.

And it's not out of the realm of possibility that they could. They have a talented young group of players that includes Derek Carr, Andre Holmes and Khalil Mack. As Watson pointed out, Oakland has been competitive in several games this season.

The Broncos need to maintain their focus on the challenge in front of them. If people thought there was uncertainty surrounding the team following the loss to the Patriots, imagine what would happen if Denver dropped one to the Raiders.

Mike Klis: Denver Falls in Power Rankings

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Mike Klis of The Denver Post compiles weekly power rankings and after their loss to New England, he dropped the Broncos down to No. 3 in the AFC.

After the lopsided 22-point loss to New England, it's understandable that the Broncos don't hold the top spot in his rankings. But putting them below the Kansas City Chiefs too? That might be a big much.

The Chiefs have been playing good football of late, but their most recent wins have come against the St. Louis Rams and New York Jets. Those teams aren't exactly NFL powerhouses.

The Chiefs also hold a loss to the Tennessee Titans, and most importantly, the Broncos have already beaten them this year.

Yes, the Broncos have a trip to Arrowhead Stadium coming up at the end of November, and that will be a tough test. However, they shouldn't be ranked below the Chiefs based on one bad performance in New England.

Even if these power rankings don't mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Jeff Legwold: Denver Has Issues at Linebacker

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If the Broncos have a major concern at this particular time, it would have to be at the linebacker position.

With the team already missing Danny Trevathan, middle linebacker Nate Irving left the Week 9 loss to New England with a knee injury. Though the injury may not end Irving's season, the Broncos will likely still be without his services for multiple games.

As Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com points out, that leaves the Broncos with limited options going forward:

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It all could cause the Broncos to turn to rookies Corey Nelson and Lamin Barrow in some situational work. Barrow worked in the middle in training camp, as well as having played sparingly in some of the specialty packages in the regular season. The Broncos will also give a long look to bringing in a linebacker or two for workouts this week, if for nothing else to make sure their current evaluations on unsigned players are up to date at the position.

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There is no doubt that Corey Nelson and Lamin Barrow will need to make regular contributions on defense, helping Steven Johnson handle the job of replacing Irving.

Despite the Broncos reaching the Super Bowl last season, the linebacker position, particularly middle linebacker, was a weakness. If they are to make a return trip to the championship game, it looks likely that it will be under the same circumstances.

ESPN: Montee Ball Will Have to Earn His Job Back

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Montee Ball is still recovering from a groin injury suffered earlier in the season, but his return to the field can't be too far away.

There was a lot of optimism coming into the season surrounding Ball, who pieced together an effective rookie season. But that optimism went up in smoke when he was injured against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.

Since then, the running game has been markedly better behind the play of Ronnie Hillman.

On the season, Hillman has run for nearly 200 yards more than Ball. Most importantly, he has averaged 4.3 yards per carry compared to just 3.1 for Ball.

Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com talked about how the job is now Hillman's to lose, and Ball seems aware of that.

Regardless, the Broncos need to find a way to utilize both running backs. Last season, the team was at its best when it got solid contributions from Ball and Knowshon Moreno. There's no reason Denver can't do the same with the talented backfield it currently has.

Whether or not the Broncos can be effective in the running game will be a key factor as they position themselves for a postseason run. They will need all hands on deck, and despite his ineffectiveness earlier this season, Ball needs to be a part of that.

Las Vegas: Oddsmakers Have Broncos as Big Favorites

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The people in Las Vegas don't seem to think the Broncos will have much trouble handing the Raiders their ninth loss of the season.

Currently, Odds Shark lists the Broncos as a 12.5-point favorite, despite being on the road. That is a big line. Looking at the statistics, the Broncos should be able to cover as well.

The Broncos rank No. 5 in the league in terms of total offense, while the Raiders are at the bottom of the list, ranked No. 32. Defensively, the Broncos come in at No. 7 in total defense, while the Raiders are No. 16.

On the year, Denver averages 30.6 points per game, while Oakland has put up just 16.1 points per game on the season.

Everything points to a comfortable win for the Broncos, but that's why they play the games.