Denver @ Las Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2018 ) Oakland 19, Denver 20

The "Black Hole" could live up to its name in every way for the final Monday Night Football game of the season as the Oakland Raiders host the Denver Broncos in a matchup of AFC West rivals. With neither team in contention for a postseason spot, the main storyline is whether or not it will mark the final game for the Raiders at the Oakland Coliseum.

Oakland, which is in the running for the league's worst record in Jon Gruden's first season back as coach, may need to find a temporary home while a new stadium is being built in Las Vegas in time for the 2020 season. "Hopefully, we get it all resolved to where we can continue to play here (next season)," Gruden told reporters. "It's going to be a great atmosphere, Monday night, Christmas Eve, Denver coming to town. I get excited thinking about it." Denver's excitement has been tempered by back-to-back losses to Cleveland and San Francisco that extinguished its postseason chances, but it still expects a rude welcome from the Raiders faithful. “Anytime you play on the road, it’s a hostile environment,’’ Broncos linebacker Von Miller told reporters. “But that’s very hostile. It’s one of the most hostile I’ve been around. It’s fun, you want people that care."

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Broncos -3. O/U: 43

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (6-8): Denver won three in a row to jump into the thick of the AFC playoff race but scored a total of 30 points in the losses to the 49ers and Browns - a pair of sub-.500 teams. Case Keenum, working with a patchwork receiving corps that has three rookies playing prominent roles, has thrown one touchdown pass and two interceptions in his last two games despite going to the air 90 times. Rookie running back Phillip Lindsay has been one of the bright spots in the season and needs just nine yards to reach 1,000, but he was held to 24 on 14 carries by Cleveland. Denver ranks sixth in the league with 42 sacks, getting a total of 26.5 from the linebacking tandem of Miller and rookie Bradley Chubb.

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (3-11): One week after throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-21 upset win over Pittsburgh, Derek Carr was sacked five times as Oakland dropped a 30-16 decision to a Cincinnati squad that had lost five in a row. Carr, who has not thrown an interception and absorbed 36 sacks in his last nine games, completed 90.6 percent (29-of-32) of his passes for 288 yards and was taken down only once in a 20-19 loss at Denver in Week 2. Tight end Jared Cook is Carr's top target with 63 receptions and six touchdowns, but leading rusher Doug Martin has failed to gain 40 yards in each of his last two contests. Oakland's pass rush has been non-existent with a league-low 12 sacks - a dozen fewer than any other team.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Miller, who has registered 14.5 sacks on the season, needs two to reach 100 for his career.

2. Carr has a 122.8 passer rating with four TDs and zero interceptions in his last three meetings with the Broncos.

3. One of Lindsay's three 100-yard performances was a 107-yard effort against Oakland in Week 2.

PREDICTION: Raiders 23, Broncos 20