The Total in Broncos Games Went Under an NFL-High 12 Times Last Year; Is 43 Too Many Points in Week 1?
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: July 31, 2024 at 1:28 pm EDTPublished:
- The Denver Broncos went under the total an NFL-high 12 times during the 2018 season
- The total for Monday’s Broncos-Raiders games is set at 43 points
- The total has gone under in five of the last seven Denver at Oakland games
The Denver Broncos are going under.
No, the franchise isn’t folding. That’s just the way the Broncos play the game.
Last season, the Broncos were the kings of the under in the NFL. Denver went under the total a league-leading 12 times.
Oddsmakers have set the total for this week’s game at 43 in the Broncos vs Raiders full odds.
Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders Total Odds
| Total | Over Odds | Under Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 43.0 | -109 | -109 |
*Odds taken 9/08/19.
The total has gone under in five of Denver’s last seven games at Oakland.
Broncos Bucking for the Under
Denver may be known as the Mile High City but in NFL circles, the Broncos are known as the mile under squad.
The total has gone under in nine of Denver’s last nine games. The total has gone under in five of Denver’s last five road games.
guys, i don't think Derek Wolfe likes the raiders that much#Broncos #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/zLHx1FLn0a
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) September 4, 2019
Both of last seasons Broncos-Raiders games went under. In fact, the total has gone under in the past five games between Denver and Oakland.
The Raiders made a good pairing with the Broncos when it comes to going under the total. Oakland has gone under in 13 of its last 20 games. The total has also gone under in seven of Oakland’s last 10 home games.
Denver has scored 20 points just once in its last four visits to Oakland.
Keeping it on the Down Low
Denver averaged 20.6 points per game last season, 24th overall in the NFL. The Raiders were even worse. They averaged 18.1 points per game. That was 28th overall in the league.
I know it's only Week 2 of the pre-season, but I feel pretty confident in saying this: The Broncos are going to have a lot of 10-6/10-9/13-10 games this season. Their slogan should be "The Denver Broncos: Bet The Under."
— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) August 20, 2019
Over the past two seasons, both the Raiders and Broncos are 11-20-1 in total wagering. That’s an average of 64.5% of their games going under.
Only the Chicago Bears (12-22-0, 64.7%) saw more games go under since 2017 than these two teams.
When Denver Rises to the Occasion
Denver’s three over performances last season all came during the first seven weeks of the season, according to our NFL team trends.
The Broncos opened with a 27-24 home-field win over the Seattle Seahawks. The total for that game was 42.5. It was the eighth time in 11 Seattle vs Denver contests that the total had gone over.
2018 Denver Broncos Games That Went Over
| Opponent | Total | Final Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 42.5 | Broncos 27 Seahawks 24 |
| New York Jets | 43.0 | Jets 34 Broncos 16 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 42.5 | Broncos 45 Cardinals 10 |
In Week 5, the Broncos traveled to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets. That day, Denver absorbed a 34-16 beating. The total for that game was 43 points.
Again, though, the trend was to go over. It was the sixth time in seven road trips to face the Jets that the total went over.
Two weeks later, the Broncos hit the road to face the woeful Arizona Cardinals. It was all Denver that day. The Broncos blasted the Cardinals 45-10, easily bettering the total of 42.5 points.
The Arizona Cardinals have dismissed offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, a day after the team was blown out at home by the Denver Broncos on national television. Coach Steve Wilks called the 45-10 loss "embarrassing."
— Rob Quirk (@KOAARobQuirk) October 19, 2018
It was the 11th time in Denver’s last 15 games against NFC West opposition that the total had gone over. It was also the eighth time in the last eight Cardinals-Broncos games that the over was the winning wager.
In Week 8, the Broncos lost 30-23 to the Kansas City Chiefs. The total was 53, so that game ended in a push.
No Brown Brings the Total Down
The departure from the Raiders of wide receiver Antonio Brown, who caught 15 touchdown passes last season with Pittsburgh, further reduces the point-producing potential of this game.
https://twitter.com/StrapHarris/status/1170377114366820353?s=20
Based on Denver’s recent history, this one figures to go under.
Pick: Under 43 (-109).
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
