The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams will square off in yet another underwhelming Thursday Night Football matchup on Week 14. Although the game might not be great, getting some skin in the game is a great way to make the matchup a bit more enticing, and bettors should tail these Raiders betting predictions.
The predictions below might not correspond exactly to available betting markets. Still, bettors should consider these numbers when placing their wagers on Thursday night’s action. Who knows — maybe these tips will help you cash a lottery same-game parlay ticket!
Raiders Week 14 Bold Betting Predictions
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#1. Derek Carr Sets a Season High in Passing
At the start of the season, Derek Carr was one of the favorites to lead the NFL in passing yards. Although Josh McDaniels’ offense has begun pivoting toward Josh Jacobs and the running game, the pendulum should swing back in Carr’s favor after a short week — especially with the Raiders on the road. McDaniels has called passing plays 64.5% of the time in away games.
Carr’s current season-high of 307 passing yards came in a Week 11 win over the Denver Broncos. That ranks 28th among his 139 career starts. He beat that mark in six games last year and in each of his prior seasons. With Davante Adams on the roster, it’s shocking that Carr hasn’t had a game with more production yet this year.
The 5-7 Las Vegas Raiders remain in the Wild Card hunt and should come into this game looking for a cheap win. The Rams are a perfect matchup. Their defensive line ranks 30th in pressure percentage (16.2%). As a unit, their defense ranks 22nd in passing yards allowed per game (236.3), a number that has ticked up significantly over their last three games (301). Geno Smith just threw for 367 yards against them last week, and Patrick Mahomes threw for 320 a week before.
Raiders Betting Prediction: Derek Carr Owns the Rams Through the Air
#2. Josh Jacobs Struggles on a Short Week
Some wrote off running back Josh Jacobs at the start of this season, but the 24-year-old has put together a career season. He leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,303) and rushing first downs (72). Jacobs also ranks third in total rushing touchdowns (10), trailing only Jamaal Williams and Nick Chubb.
Jacobs’ health is becoming an issue. He was questionable for last week’s game with a calf injury after logging limited practice sessions all week. He picked up a quad injury last week and logged another limited practice on Wednesday. Although nothing suggests Jacobs will sit out on Thursday night, the Raiders may opt to limit his workload after giving him 28 touches last week.
Raiders Betting Prediction: Doesn’t Expect Much Out of Josh Jacobs
#3. Las Vegas Pass Rush Maintains Improvement
Entering Week 14, the Las Vegas Raiders rank a lowly 28th in sacks per game (1.8). Their pass rush ranks only 22nd in pressure percentage (19.5%) despite ranking 11th in blitz frequency (28%). The addition of Chandler Jones to a defensive front that already featured Maxx Crosby hasn’t seemed to generate much of a return — until recently.
The Raiders racked up a whopping five sacks against the Chargers last weekend. Jones, who ranks 37th in all-time sacks and is tied for third among active players, racked up three. He’ll now face a Los Angeles Rams team that ranks tied for 19th in pass-block win rate (57%) with the Chargers.
The Rams have struggled in the trenches all year, but quarterback Matthew Stafford was much better at avoiding sacks than backup John Wolford. Wolford took three sacks against the Cardinals and four against the Seahawks. Wolford has faced pressure on 37.8% of his dropbacks and taken a sack on 10.1% of them. Wolford is day-to-day with neck soreness, but his backup, Bryce Perkins, has faced pressure on 34.1% of his dropbacks and taken a sack 15% of the time.
Raiders Betting Prediction: Vegas Stuffs the Stat Sheet With Sacks
