Patriots (1-4) at Raiders (2-3)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
TV:
Spread (BetMGM):
OTB at press time
Patriots’ keys to victory: Win with their defense. Head coach Bill Belichick knows this offense better than anyone after spending years with Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels. And with Jimmy Garoppolo playing for the Raiders, Belichick is facing a quarterback who he also knows well. Garoppolo has a tendency to throw high in the middle of the field. Belichick usually doesn’t love to blitz, but this might be the game to do that.
Raiders’ keys to victory: New England doesn’t have the interior defenders to stop the run, which means we should see a heavy dose of RB Josh Jacobs. If the Raiders can stay balanced on offense, they should be able to move the ball up and down the field. On defense, DE Maxx Crosby should be able to take over. The Patriots have not been able to protect QB Mac Jones and have had major issues at right tackle. Look for the Raiders to rush four and drop the rest into coverage, daring Jones to hold the ball and take chances down the field.
Matchup to watch: Raiders WR Davante Adams vs. Patriots CB J.C. Jackson. New England is depleted at cornerback with Jack Jones, Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones all on the injured reserve list. That means we are likely to see the recently acquired Jackson matched up against Adams, a fantastic matchup for the Raiders. If New England can slow down Adams, it will have a chance.
Who wins? The Raiders are coming off a win and are the more talented team. This could be a lowscoring matchup that likely comes down to the kicking game.
Raiders, 19-17