Denver Broncos (10-2) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Broncos -7.5, Total 40.5
Series Rewind: The Raiders are 0-10 in AFC West games the past two seasons (0-4 this season). The last division victory for the Raiders was the 27-14 win over Denver in Las Vegas to end the 2023 regular season.
The Raiders are out of playoff contention already, while Denver is fighting with New England for the top seed in the AFC. Even so, the Broncos were only three points better than Las Vegas in the first meeting this season last month. The Broncos’ win in Week 10 was their seventh in a row, and they’ve won their past two games to stretch the streak to nine. The Raiders, who entered that matchup with consecutive losses, have since lost three more games in succession and are planning January vacations. After going to overtime with the Commanders on Monday, the Broncos know they can take nothing for granted, coach Sean Payton said in a terse reminder. He certainly knows as well as anyone how scrappy Maxx Crosby and the Raiders defense can get. In their first meeting in Denver last month, the Raiders’ defense had Broncos quarterback Bo Nix under pressure all day and allowed just 10 points. Offensively-challenged Las Vegas has only one game with over 20 points since September. Offensive line issues are a chronic concern. Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty was preparing for the Heisman Trophy ceremony at this time last year. He leads rookies with 886 yards from scrimmage and was heavily involved in the passing game in the Raiders’ first game since firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Jeanty caught six passes last week. He scored the Raiders’ only touchdown in the Week 10 loss at Denver. The Broncos last had a winning streak longer than the current run when they posted 11 in a row in 2012 with Payton Manning at quarterback.
Los Angeles Rams (9-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Rams -8.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind:
Arizona draws an angry Matthew Stafford, whose streak of 28 consecutive TD passes without a pick ended in a 31-28 loss to the Panthers that included an INT return for a touchdown and nudged the Rams out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Stafford and the Rams have two looks at the Cardinals coming in the final five weeks of the regular season. Arizona’s desire to control the ball and keep Stafford on the sideline could see a boost if RB Trey Benson can get back in the lineup. He’s been on IR since Sept. 25, one week before the Cardinals lost Kyler Murray. Murray won’t return until at least Week 15. Jacoby Brissett makes his eighth consecutive start for the Cardinals. He threw for 301 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in last Sunday’s 20-17 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The margin for error is slim if Stafford doesn’t cough up the ball because of his arsenal of playmakers. WR Davante Adams leads the NFL with 14 TD catches and Puka Nacua caught 10 passes for 129 yards in the last meeting. Kyren Williams has 1,052 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. He scored in both games against Arizona last season.
Chicago Bears (9-3) at Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -6.5, Total 44.5
Series Rewind: Green Bay’s only loss to the Bears in the past six years (12 games) was a 24-22 defeat in January to end the 2024 regular season. Cairo Santos answered a 55-yard Brandon McManus field goal with 54 seconds left with a 51-yarder as time expired.
This is the first of two meetings in the next 13 days between NFC North rivals and the frontrunners for the division title with five weeks left in the regular season. Green Bay has owned the rivalry and is 11-1 against Chicago since Matt LaFleur was named head coach. New Bears coach Ben Johnson has reversed fortunes for the Bears in his first season and called out LaFleur in his introductory press conference, stating he enjoyed “beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” while coordinating the Lions’ offense. With two division losses, the Bears chances of winning the NFC North shrink with a loss at Lambeau Field. The Packers are still perfect (3-0) in the division and present challenges to the Chicago secondary after three wide receivers — Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson — hauled in Jordan Love TD passes last week. And Green Bay’s No. 1 receiver last season, Jayden Reed, could rejoin the offense for the first time since September. But the Bears are leading the league in takeaways (26) and turnover margin (17) with the No. 2-ranked rushing offense (153.8 yards per game) to help protect a defense allowing 6.09 yards per play (30th in the NFL). The sum of their parts has been a slew of tight games and a scoring differential of just six points.