This rates to be a major letdown spot for a Raiders club that, after finally overcoming its long postseason drought, will have to deal with the aftermath of the devastating injury to quarterback Derek Carr. Oakland can expect little sympathy from a Denver club that won't return to the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl last year. The Broncos were hindered in part by a loss to the Raiders in their first meeting. Denver should be eager to end its season on a high note while sending short-handed Oakland to the playoffs on a sour one.

The Broncos want to see what they have for 2017, while the Raiders need to win to secure a first-round playoff bye. Oakland will lean on a rushing game that's averaged 157.3 yards over the past four games. In the first meeting with Denver, the Raiders erupted for 218 rushing yards and three TDs on 43 carries. They won't be as dominant here without Derek Carr's passing threat, but they'll do enough to win.

Huge loss for the Raiders with Derek Carr. But I believe Oakland will come out and show the team is bigger than one player. The Raiders need this one to clinch the AFC West and I believe they'll get it.

Oakland's playoff hopes are in big trouble after losing Derek Carr, but I still think they're going to win this game. The Broncos are abysmal at defending the run, so the Raiders can feel comfortable leaning on their offensive line and the three-headed rushing attack to do the bulk of the work in this game. On the other side, the Broncos have no running game and are expected to give Paxton Lynch a chance to log some snaps with nothing else on the line for the team. The Raiders of course have everything to play for, with the AFC West and potentially home-field advantage on the line. Expect them to roll.

Everything we've learned about the Raiders this season can be thrown out the window with Derek Carr out. And everything we've learned about the Broncos from the past three weeks can be applied here, which has me looking at a low-scoring game. It's a huge game for Oakland, but the Raiders won't put backup Matt McGloin in a position to have everything on his shoulders. Look for the Raiders to run more against the one weak spot in the Broncos' defense. Denver has scored only 23 points over the last three weeks and will be using two QBs while still having no run game. Under is the play.