Patriots vs Raiders Odds: Both Teams Struggling to Score
Teams Are a Combined 2-8 in Totals This Season
Two of the lowest-scoring teams in the NFL meet in Las Vegas on Sunday when New England visits the Raiders. The Patriots are averaging 11.0 points per game, the lowest in the NFL. Las Vegas is scoring 15.8 points per game, tied for No. 29 in the league. But the sportsbook sees the game differently, with the Patriots vs Raiders odds showing Las Vegas -3 with a total of 41.5.
New England Patriots vs Las Vegas Raiders 
Date & Time: Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Streaming: CBS
Line: Las Vegas -3
Total: 41.5
New England’s Schedule Taking a Toll
The New England Patriots find themselves in select company for this game, but not in a good way. The Pats will become just the 25th team since the 1991 season to enter a game after scoring three points or less in each of their last two contests. New England lost to Dallas 38-3 two weeks ago and were blanked by the Saints 34-0 last week.
There are plenty of things wrong with the Patriots’ offense. New England is averaging 83.8 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per carry. The passing game is throwing for 203.6 yards per game. But one of the biggest reasons New England scores so little is it’s -8 in turnovers. But it’s not as though Las Vegas is much better, with the Raiders at -7 this season.
On the defensive side, the Patriots haven’t played all that badly. New England is allowing 26.2 points to teams averaging 25.8 points per game. So, the Patriots are an average defense in terms of points allowed. New England has been solid against the run, allowing 3.6 yards per rush to teams averaging 4.8 yards per carry. The pass defense allows 190.4 yards per game and holds teams to 5.9 yards per pass attempt. But New England is 1-4 straight-up and against the NFL spreads due to the offense giving the opposition a good field position.
But the NFL schedule makers weren’t very kind to the team. New England has already played the likes of Dallas, Miami, and Philadelphia, so you can expect their stats to be down slightly. Jeff Sagarin’s NFL power rankings have the Patriots down for the second-toughest schedule.
Las Vegas Still Shooting For 20-Point Game
The Raiders have been pretty consistent on offense. But not in a good way. Las Vegas has scored between 10 and 18 points in all five games this year. Even the Patriots scored 20 points in a game this season. The Raiders’ offense is hampered by a rushing game that is averaging just 71.4 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. And that’s against teams allowing 142.6 yards and 5.0 yards per carry. Las Vegas will have a tough time running against a New England team that holds teams to 1.2 fewer yards per rush than the average.
The Raiders complete 67.1% of their passes for 209.8 yards per game, 30 fewer yards than their opponent’s average. Las Vegas is gaining 6.4 yards per pass attempt, below the 7.1 yards the opposition allows.
The Las Vegas defense allows 22.8 points per game to teams averaging 24.2 points. The run defense has been slightly worse than average, while the passing defense has been better than average. The defense has helped the Raiders go 2-2-1 against the NFL spreads.
What to Expect
New England should find Las Vegas a little more to its liking after battling some of the upper-echelon teams this season. But New Orleans can’t be considered a great team and just beat the Patriots by 34 points. The Patriots are likely to try and run the ball a bit, and their early success will dictate what they do later in the game. If New England has some success on the ground, that will help open up the passing game.
The Las Vegas running game has been terrible, although it’s coming off a season-high 96-yard rushing yards against Green Bay. Still, the Raiders are going to have the most success through the air, and you have to expect Las Vegas to throw plenty.
Who to Bet On?
The Patriots vs Raiders odds of Las Vegas -3 might appear to be a bit on the low side. But it’s hard to back the Raiders as a home favorite. The Patriots are a better team than they’ve shown the last two weeks, even if that is holding New England to a low standard. Those 24 teams who put up three points or less on the NFL scoreboard in back-to-back weeks are 14-10 against the point spread, so you can make a slight case for the Pats.
The Patriots vs Raiders odds of 41.5 on the total may look to be high. But there’s a good reason the over/under isn’t in the upper 30s despite the team’s struggling to score. The previous 24 teams to score a field goal or less in consecutive weeks came back to post a 17-6-1 record in totals. While the over 41.5 may look a bit sketchy on the surface, it has come through in similar situations in the past. Take over 41.5 in this game.
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