The third and final preseason games are happening. Football fans are a mere two weeks away from regular season football getting kicked off.
The New England Patriots will head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders on Friday night. The kickoff for this game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. eastern from Allegiant Stadium. Let’s look at the Patriots vs. Raiders betting trends.
Las Vegas Raiders have not made the headline much this offseason. They did not make a ton of big moves and look to get things finalized amongst the coaching staff in this final preseason game.
The Raiders have kept both Derek Carr and Davante Adams on the sideline for this preseason. While there are no expectations of either of them to play, it will be interesting to see if they get at least a single drive.
New England Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Patriots Stats
The Patriots are coming off a big win in their NFL matchup against the Carolina Panthers in week 2 of the preseason.
The Patriots have always played their starters for at least a few drives in the preseason and this was the case in this game against the Panthers.
Lineup Performance Recap
Mac Jones had eight pass attempts last week, completing four of them. He threw for 61 yards and did take a single sack for a loss of four yards.
Bailey Zappe had the most complete day for quarterbacks, boosting his NFL player stats, against the Panthers. He threw 25 passes, completing 16 of them for 173 yards with one interception.
Tre Nixon was the most targeted receiver for the Patriots. He was able to haul in six receptions on eight targets for 56 yards.
The running game was split pretty evenly amongst the backs last week. J.J. Taylor rushed for 33 yards on seven attempts to lead the backs.
Raiders Stats
The Raiders were also able to win their last preseason game as well. The Raiders were back and forth with the Minnesota Vikings the whole game but would ultimately win 26-20.
Lineup Performance Recap
Jarrett Stidham had a great day for the Raiders under center. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 68 yards and solidified his role as Derek Carr’s backup.
Nick Mullens was also solid for the Raiders, completing seven of nine passes with a touchdown. Mullens is looking to be QB3 when the regular season gets underway.
Brittain Brown ran the ball extremely well for the Raiders last week. He received 14 carries, rushed for 54 yards, and scored a touchdown.
While Brown does not look to be too high on the depth chart for the Raiders to start the season, it was good to see him giving that type of effort in his minutes.
DJ Turner had a solid day for the receivers. While he only caught three total passes, he was able to come away with 58 yards and a touchdown. The biggest thing for the Raiders is going to be their offensive line protection.
Raiders Offensive Line
In their game against the Vikings, their quarterbacks were sacked four times and lost over 20 yards because of it. If they can not keep their quarterback safe, the Raiders run the risk of increasing their NFL injuries.
Matchup Betting Trends
- The Patriots are 2-0 ATS
- New England is 1-1 on the moneyline
- The Raiders are 2-0 ATS
- Las Vegas is 2-0 on the moneyline
Patriots vs. Raiders Betting Picks and Predictions
The Patriots have big expectations for Mac Jones. In just his second season in the NFL, Jones has massive shoes to fill and will have to grow up very quickly if he is going to take this team back to the postseason caliber they were three years ago.
Jones will have a few weapons around him, potentially getting some more reps in this last preseason game.
DeVante Parker has the explosive playmaking abilities this team needs and will have to be a major force in his first year with New England.
Damien Harris will be their leading running back going into the season. For their last game, expect him to get a few more touches to make sure all is right with the chemistry between him and Jones.
Most of Their Starters
As stated previously, the Raiders have kept most of their starters off the field in the preseason. With just a few short days before the regular season kicks off, it would be surprising to see any of them run out there or this last game.
Zamir White, a rookie running back out of Georgia, has gotten a few snaps so far this preseason and is looking to split touches with Josh Jacobs.
This will be a big week for him to make sure he is comfortable in the Raiders’ backfield before opening up regular season play.
Who to Bet On?
This game does not have a whole lot of big names taking the field if the Raiders keep their stars on the sidelines. Expect Belichick to allow his starters to play a little more, which gives them a clear advantage in this game.
When making your NFL picks, and looking at the Patriots vs. Raiders betting trends, take the New England Patriots to win this game.
NFL Pick: Patriots +1 (-100)
NFL Pick: Patriots (+100)
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