The Las Vegas Raiders (3-12) visit the New Orleans Saints (5-10) in a battle between two teams playing out the season and looking at young quarterbacks as they decide their future paths. Our Raiders vs Saints prediction is for favored Las Vegas to cover the 1-point spread.
Head-to-head, the teams have a 7-7-1 record.
There are some links between the organizations as Saints’ number one quarterback Derek Carr spent the first nine years of his career as a Raider. But Carr is out with a hand injury.
Offshore Odds: The Game is Pick’em
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | -1 (-112) | -119 | O 37.5 (-115) |
| Saints | +1 (-108) | -101 | U 37.5 (-105) |
Las Vegas is Not Tanking
While the Raiders have myriad glaring needs and face lingering questions about their coaching staff and front office structure, particularly with Tom Brady now a part owner, they have not tanked. They are trying to win, which cannot be said about some other NFL teams.
In Week 13, they nearly (and probably should have) beat the Chiefs. In Week 15, they almost completely undid the Falcons’ playoff hopes and their corralling of quarterback Kirk Cousins sparked Atlanta’s switch to Michael Penix Jr.
They beat Jacksonville 19-14 in Week 16. Their key is finding a quarterback whether that is through the draft or by signing an available veteran. They have Desmond Ridder, Aidan O’Connell, and Gardner Minshew II on the roster, but they are not the answer.
Las Vegas’ defense has been reasonably good, but they are next-to-last in the league in turnover differential and the offense is catastrophic.
New Orleans Tries to Rebound From a 34-0 Beating
Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler called Week 16’s 34-0 loss to Green Bay “embarrassing.”
He’s right. They were dominated in every facet. The score could have been 55-0 had Green Bay been so motivated.
Still, New Orleans’ lineup was missing Carr, its star running back (Alvin Kamara), and its top receiver (Chris Olave). Rattler is playing like a rookie, but he’s not getting much help.
Judging New Orleans based on their season-long statistics makes little sense since several top players are sidelined. Rattler has looked overmatched so far. But it’s clear what the Saints are doing.
Raiders vs Saints Prediction: Try to Win or Get a Higher Draft Pick?
New Orleans’ intentions are obvious. Las Vegas seems to be trying harder. Since both teams are waiting to end the season, the result may hinge on which team is more invested in winning. Based on the last few weeks, that’s the Raiders.
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