49ers (11-4) at Raiders (6-9)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas TV: Fox
Tipico Sportsbook line: 49ers by 6
49ers’ keys to victory: Just don’t turn the ball over. It’s really as simple as that for the 49ers, who are the far superior team. As long as the 49ers run the ball and avoid making errors, they should be able to run away from the Raiders. On defense, they just need to slow down RB Josh Jacobs, who leads the NFL in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. He is the heart of the offense for the Raiders, and their entire offense can bog down if he doesn’t get going. He’s coming off a tough night at Acrisure Stadium in which he was held to 44 yards on 15 carries.
Raiders’ keys to victory: When the Raiders protect QB Derek Carr, he can pick defenses apart. He gets in trouble when there is chaos around him and he’s not comfortable. If the offensive line can somehow slow down one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, the Raiders will have a chance. Their defense probably won’t be able to get many stops in this one, so it will be up to the offense to try to outscore the 49ers. Could 49ers rookie QB Brock Purdy finally have a bad day?
Matchup to watch: 49ers TE George Kittle vs. Raiders SS Trevon Moehrig. The Raiders have struggled to cover tight ends all season. Travis Kelce scored four touchdowns against them in Week 5, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kittle do something similar. Look for Purdy to target him early and often.
Who wins? The Raiders have shown they can hang with good teams for a while, but the 49ers are a different beast. Expect San Francisco to win easily.
49ers, 34-17