Kevin Payne grabbed the Raiders +9 on Thursday Night Football, noting that Brock Bowers’ return immediately juiced Las Vegas’ offense last week. Payne said the tight end’s field-stretching ability forces defenses out of their preferred two-high shells, opening cleaner looks for the run game and Davante Adams on intermediates. He also reminded readers that short-week divisional games routinely go off-script, making large spreads dicey for favorites. With the line still north of a touchdown, Payne sees enough built-in variance to make the Raiders the right side against a Denver team that has been inconsistent outside of the altitude advantage.