Red-hot SuperBook VP (70.9%) offers best bet on Broncos-Raiders

With both teams eliminated from the playoffs, Sunday’s Raiders-Broncos game is seen by many as meaningless.

But games are never meaningless for bettors, and the matchup at Allegiant Stadium also is certainly meaningful for Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce as he tries to win the permanent job.

“It’s another job interview for him,” Caesars Sportsbook assistant director of trading Adam Pullen said. “It might cement his full-time coaching status.”

The Raiders ticked up to consensus 3-point favorites over the Broncos on Friday after the line was at 2½ (-125) on Thursday.

Westgate SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay, who has clinched the Review-Journal NFL Challenge title with a 56-23-6 record against the spread (70.9 percent), said the Raiders are his best bet this week.

Kornegay would be leading the Westgate SuperContest with that record and be in second place in the Circa Sports Million contest. He likes the fact that the Raiders are playing hard for Pierce, while the Broncos appear to be in turmoil after coach Sean Payton benched quarterback Russell Wilson following their Week 16 home loss to the Patriots.

“We’re looking at two different sidelines here,” he said. “One sideline really is doing everything they can to win for this coach. The other one is undecided at this point.”

The Raiders are 4-4 under Pierce and 6-1-1 against the spread after rallying for a backdoor cover in last week’s 23-20 loss at Indianapolis that followed back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Chargers.

“Last week was a really bad spot for the Raiders after that really big win over the Chiefs. Yet they played very well on the road against a team battling for the playoffs in the Colts,” Kornegay said. “That really made an impression on me, that this team, despite being eliminated from the playoffs, is still playing very hard.

“The Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs last week and there’s a lot of drama in that locker room now. Therefore, I believe it’s a good spot for our hometown Raiders.”

The betting public is all over the Raiders, who led the ticket counts by a 4-1 margin as of Friday afternoon at BetMGM and Station Casinos.

“The Raiders really want to win this game for Antonio Pierce,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “He’s got the endorsement from a lot of players, and this lets them finish with a winning record of 5-4 since he got the job. I can see a huge effort by the Raiders in this game.

“My guess is we’ll be Broncos fans when this kicks.”

South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said he has taken sharp action on both sides.

“The wiseguys are taking the Broncos +3 or Raiders -2½, depending on who they like,” he said.

The consensus total has ticked down from 38 to 37. The Raiders (7-9, 9-6-1 ATS) are tied for the NFL’s best under record at 11-5. The Broncos (8-8, 6-9-1 ATS), who beat the Chargers 16-9 last week to snap a two-game losing streak, have a 9-7 under mark.

“They beat the Chargers last week, but they weren’t impressive by any means,” said Kornegay, a lifelong Broncos fan. “The Raiders’ close loss to the Colts was far more impressive than the Broncos’ win against the Chargers.”

The Raiders defeated Denver 17-16 in the season opener and have won the last eight meetings with the Broncos by an average of 8.0 points per game.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.