Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos – 6/25/20 Madden20 NFL Sim Pick, Odds, and Prediction

The Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders meet Thursday night in a Madden20 NFL simulation game.

The Denver Broncos have an old school feel to their playing style, as they’re going to rely on their defense and ground game to produce victories. Linebacker Von Miller is the Broncos highest rated player at 96 and cornerback Chris Harris is the second highest rated player with a 90 overall. Running back Phillip Lindsay is the Broncos highest rated offensive player at an 85, and he’s going to be the workhorse for Denver to keep things competitive. The concern with the Broncos is that quarterback Drew Lock doesn’t get much respect from the folks at Madden with his 68 rating overall, but he does have decent speed at 83 and could make some plays with his feet at times. The Denver Broncos aren’t flashy, but they play disciplined ball and control the trenches, which could be key with the computer leading the way.

The Oakland Raiders aren’t all that fun to play with in this game, as their highest rated player is their center in Rodney Hudson, who is a 93 overall rating with a 90 strength rating. Richie Incognito and Trent Bitemn are the Raiders next highest rated players, which makes for a strong offensive line but really thin on the difference makers. Running back Josh Jacobs is rated 85 overall with a 91 acceleration rating while tight end Darren Waller is rated 85 overall with an 89 speed rating. Quarterback Derek Carr is rated 80 overall with an 87 acceleration rating and Tyrell Williams is his top ranked receiver with an 82 overall rating and 95 agility rating. The Oakland Raiders have one of the better offensive lines in the game, but the defense can get gashed and the offense can struggle to produce the big play that really opens the game up.

We’ve learned that any team can be a favorite in these simulations, so seeing the Oakland Raiders laying points isn’t a surprise. With that said, I’m not backing the Raiders as the favorite regardless of opponent. The Raiders just aren’t good on either side of the ball and lack difference makers at the key positions. The Denver Broncos aren’t always sexy, but they get after it defensively and are strong in the trenches that lead to an effective ground game. The Broncos are the more effective team and are more trustworthy defensively, which to me is key in a division contest. 

Give me the Broncos and the free field goal.