After a disastrous 2-7 start to the season, the Las Vegas Raiders were written off by pretty much everyone. However, the Raiders are now just two games behind the New York Jets for the final playoff spot in the AFC after beating three straight opponents. They are favored to make it four in a row on Thursday Night Football when they head back to their former home to face the Los Angeles Rams.
The defending Super Bowl champions are on pace to be the worst team in the NFC this season. The Los Angeles Rams are 3-9 and have the worst point differential in the conference. That’s why they are close to a touchdown underdog at home for a second straight week, this time against the surging Las Vegas Raiders. These teams will meet on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
NFL Week 14 Betting Odds
Las Vegas Raiders -6
Los Angeles Rams +6
Total 44
Money Line: Raiders -265, Rams +218
Odds Analysis
Since Thursday Night Football betting odds were just released after Sunday’s games, there hasn’t been much of an opportunity for line movement.
Las Vegas Raiders
This is the penultimate road game of the regular season for the Las Vegas Raiders. They went on the road to beat Denver and Seattle to potentially salvage their season, and they now have the chance to get back to .500 in two weeks when they face the New England Patriots.
Derek Carr has shaken off a tough start to the season with five straight quality starts. Carr has had five consecutive games with multiple touchdown passes, and he has recorded a QBR over 50 in each of those games. Davante Adams has had five straight monster performances too. Carr’s college teammate at Fresno State has caught 41 passes for 664b yards and seven touchdowns in that stretch.
The leading rusher in the NFL is now Josh Jacobs. He was behind Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley for most of the season, but Jacobs has now run for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jacobs is averaging 5.4 YPC, and he has surpassed the century mark in three straight games.
Las Vegas doesn’t have a great defense. The Raiders are allowing 25.1 PPG, 370.6 YPG, and 5.9 yards per play. They rank in the bottom quarter of the NFL in all three of those categories, and they rank second-to-last in red zone defense and sack rate. Maxx Crosby has been great with 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, but no one else is playing at an elite level.
Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford’s season has probably come to an end. He has suffered two concussions this year, and he was placed on injured reserve a few days ago. That means John Wolford will likely be the starter for the rest of the 2022 campaign. Wolford has made two starts this season, completing 61.3% of his passes for 390 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.
This offense was already bad under Stafford, ranking 29th in scoring offense (16.2 PPG), 31st in total offense (279.8 YPG), and 32nd in yards per play (4.6 YPP). It could be even worse under Wolford, but at least Wolford has some mobility that can help the ground game.
Cam Akers is the leading running back on the Rams even though he is averaging just 3.3 YPC. Cooper Kupp was the top receiver on the team until his injury, and now tight end Tyler Higbee is the top target. The offensive line is extremely banged up and is missing three starters, so it’s tough to see this unit scoring many points.
The Rams won’t have superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald available for this game, and they might not have Troy Hill or Terrell Lewis either. Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey are still likely to suit up, but this defense is without some key pieces.
Raiders at Rams Free Pick
It won’t be much of a home field advantage for the Los Angeles Rams this week. There are plenty of Raiders’ fans in the city from their time in LA, so expect a lot of Silver and Black in the stands when the Raiders cruise to an easy victory over the Rams.
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