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The NFL season is at the halfway point and it's going by fast! The Las Vegas Raiders travel east to take on the New York Giants on Sunday. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Raiders-Giants prediction and pick.
The Raiders continue to deal with off-the-field issues. Despite all of that, this team is still leading the AFC West division with a 5-2 record. Derek Carr is playing very well and the defense is improving each game. If they can stay focused and continue to play the way they are, they have a great chance of competing for a playoff spot. The LA Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs are right behind them in the standings, so the Raiders must keep their feet on the pedal.
For our conversation about Raiders-Giants on the Establish the Pass podcast, click below:
The New York Giants are also dealing with problems of their own. This time its injuries that keep pilling up. They just lost to the Chiefs last Monday night so they will have one less day of preparation for this matchup.
Here is how the bookmakers have set the odds for Sunday's matchup.
NFL Odds: Raiders-Giants Odds
Las Vegas Raiders: -3.5 (-105)
New York Giants: +3.5 (-115)
Over: 46.5 (-112)
Under: 46.5 (-108)
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Why The Raiders Could Cover The Spread
The Raiders are currently 4-3 against the spread this season. They are favored by three points on the road which is a sign that they are the better team. Las Vegas can cover this spread if they leave all the distractions behind them. The Giants will be without some of their better players so the Raiders will need to take advantage of that, which I think they will. The run game will be very important for the Raiders. If they can get Josh Jacobs back into rhythm then that is a huge positive for the offense.
Vegas is playing sound football right now where they are seeing success in all three phases of the game. If they continue to do what they do, then they should have no issues scoring points against the Giants on Sunday. Vegas is 2-0 with their new head coach Rich Bisaccia and doesn't seem to be slowing down even with all the distractions surrounding the team.
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
The Giants could cover the spread if they go back to how they played against the Carolina Panthers a few weeks ago. They defeated them 25-3 and dominated the entire game. They lost to the Chiefs in a tight one Monday night, but didn't look good at all. It's going to be all up to Daniel Jones and the offense on Sunday. If they can find ways to score points then they could potentially get blown out by the Raiders.
The Giants' defense is a lot better than we all think. They held the Chiefs to just 20 points in a primetime game. We all know the Chiefs are struggling but the Giants still won a lot of those in-game matchups. If the Giants' defense can play like they did the past two weeks then they are in great shape to cover this 3-point spread. The Raiders like to slow their offense down so New York will need to create turnovers or they will lose the time of possession.
Final Raiders-Giants Prediction & Pick
I expect the Raiders to ignore the off-field issues and move to 6-2 on the season. That will put them in great shape to compete for a playoff spot. There really is no reason why the Raiders can't win this game by more than a field goal. The Giants will be without Saquon Barkley and a few other crucial starters.
FINAL RAIDERS-GIANTS PREDICTION & PICK: Raiders -3.5 (105)
