Don’t look now, but the Washington Football Team, a squad that had a very disappointing start to the season, has won three games in a row and has gotten themselves back into the playoff race in the NFC. Speaking of playoff races, the Las Vegas Raiders, sitting at 6-5, are in the hunt for an AFC playoff berth. This is an all-important game for both teams, as the Washington Football Team will head to beautiful Las Vegas to take on the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
What a season this has been for the Raiders. After a hot start, their season came to a screeching halt when the Jon Gruden email controversy hit. After Gruden’s resignation, the Raiders got back on the winning track, but since then, they’ve been up-and-down. They play in the difficult AFC West, so a loss at this point in the season could be detrimental to their playoff hopes. With that in mind, it’s time we take a look at both teams and how they arrive to this Washington vs Raiders match so you can bet against the NFL odds.
NFL Betting Preview for WFT vs Las Vegas Raiders
Washington Football Team Betting Analysis
Heading into the season, many thought that the Washington Football Team would have one of the best defenses in the league. After the first few games, the experts realized that the WFT defense wasn’t going to be near as good as predicted. Even after losing Chase Young for the season, Washington’s defense has bounced back and has been a better unit. They held Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks offense to just 15 points in their win last Monday night.
Taylor Heinecke wasn’t predicted to be the starter this season, but since Ryan Fitzpatrick has been out all season, the job has been Heinecke’s. He has thrown for over 2600 yards with 16 touchdowns. Terry McLaurin and J.D. McKissic have been two of Heinecke’s best weapons this season. While Antonio Gibson has been hobbled by injuries this season, the Washington Football Team hasn’t had much of a running attack.
Las Vegas Raiders Betting Analysis
The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off of a huge Thanksgiving Day victory over the Dallas Cowboys. It was a huge win for the Raiders who are still in contention for an AFC West title. Derek Carr has quietly had a very good season. Carr has thrown for over 3400 yards with 17 touchdowns this season. He’s done this with Darren Waller fighting injuries, the release of Henry Ruggs III, and the lack of a star receiver. Hunter Renfro has had a nice season for the Raiders as their primary target. Josh Jacobs has also been fighting injuries and has rushed for just over 400 yards this season. The Raiders will be looking for more from Jacobs late in the season.
As has been the case over the last few years, the Raiders defense has been their weak link. The Raiders defense is giving up over 26 points per game and has put the offense into some tough spots this season. One bright spot for the Raiders defense has been their pass rush, as Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby have both been very good at getting to the quarterback this season.
Prediction
The Raiders are 2.5-point favorites in this one. While the WFT is on a three-game winning streak, this could be a letdown week for them. The Raiders will be well-rested, and they know that they can’t afford many more losses. This one will be a close one, but the Raiders will walk away with a three-point victory.