Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Sunday, 11/6/11, 4:05 PM EST, TV:  CBS
Opening Point Spread:  Oakland -5.5
Current Betting Line:  Oakland -7.5
Opening Total:  45
Current Total:  42.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Two teams with intriguing quarterback stories will meet in a key AFC West matchup on Sunday when the Oakland Raiders host the Denver Broncos.  The Raiders (4-3) will give Carson Palmer his first start for them after he struggled mightily in relief of Kyle Boller while the Broncos (2-5) have decided to keep Tim Tebow in the lineup for at least another week.

Tebow bombed in a 45-10 home loss to Detroit last Sunday, just one week after he led Denver back from a 15-0 deficit to an 18-15 overtime win on the road at Miami.  The problem is, he did not play well for most of the game against the Dolphins either until the final minutes.  Tebow made his first career start at Oakland a year ago in a 39-23 loss but ran the ball well, finishing with 78 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 40-yard touchdown run.

The Raiders (-7.5, O/U 42.5) as a team ran the ball better though, with running back Darren McFadden leading the way with 119 yards on 20 carries.  Wide receiver Jacoby Ford also busted loose on a 71-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the game, and the team totaled 201 yards on the ground in the first half alone.  Oakland blew open a 23-20 game by outscoring the Broncos 16-3 in the fourth quarter.

Denver has dropped the last four meetings in the rivalry both straight-up and against the spread, including a 23-20 home loss in the season opener.  Kyle Orton started at QB for the Broncos in that game and looked terrible for most of the game until the fourth quarter when they trailed by 10 points, 23-13.

McFadden ran right through Denver in that game too, totaling 150 rushing yards on 22 carries.  His status remains questionable due to a sprained foot early in a 28-0 home loss to Kansas City two weeks ago.  The Raiders are coming off their bye week and hope Palmer has picked up more of the playbook after being traded to the team just prior to playing the Chiefs.

Boller made the start against Kansas City but was absolutely brutal, throwing his first pass for an interception that was returned 59 yards for a touchdown.  He ended up with three picks, and Palmer was then forced into action, throwing three interceptions of his own, including another one that was returned for a score.  Oakland signed Palmer’s former teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh on Tuesday to bolster the receiving corps and give him a reliable target he is familiar with.  Houshmandzadeh trained with Palmer as well before he was dealt from Cincinnati.

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