Both the Raiders and Steelers are coming off Week 1 victories against two of the NFL's best teams. It’s time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Raiders-Steelers prediction and pick based on Raiders Steelers odds.
The Raiders won of the best football games over the past several years with a 33-27 overtime thriller against the Ravens. Out east in Buffalo, the Steelers defeated the heavily favored Bills by a score of 23-16. With momentum at a high for both football teams, this game has the potential to go down to the last few minutes.
Here’s how the bookmakers have set the lines for Sunday's matchup.
NFL Odds: Raiders-Steelers Odds
Las Vegas Raiders +6 1/2 (-110)
Pittsburgh Steelers -6 1/2 (-110)
Over 47 points (-110)
Under 47 1/2 points (-110)
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why The Raiders Could Cover
The Raiders used a dominant passing attack to put up 33 points on a Ravens defense that is up there as one of the best in the league. Leading the charge was Derek Carr, who threw for 435 yards and two passing touchdowns. The ground game didn't provide much, and that should be more of the same story against a terrific Steelers rush defense. Beating the Ravens is tough enough, but doing score while scoring as much as Las Vegas did last week is even more impressive. Take that into account when making a Raiders Steelers prediction.
The Raiders played the Ravens close throughout the entire game, and that's something they'll have to do in the Steel City as well. We saw last week how quickly Pittsburgh put together a comeback in Buffalo. Allowing the Steelers to pile up all those points at the beginning of the game will spell disaster for Las Vegas. Look for Vegas' defense to play well just long enough, supplemented by a few more scores from Carr, to make game tied within the last few minutes. At that point, it's anyone's ball game, and can be the Raiders if the defense replicates its performance against Baltimore from Week 1. Carr will need to play hero again he did in overtime last week. That is clear for anyone considering a Raiders Steelers pick.
Why The Steelers Could Win
The Steelers just went into Buffalo and upset one of the best teams in football by over a touchdown. Thinking they couldn't do the same against a much more average Raiders team would be a mistake. While Las Vegas played well in Week 1, they were also riding the momentum of playing their first ever game in front of a sold out stadium of fans in their new city. Additionally, the Raiders are traveling cross-country for this game on a short week. That rarely bodes well for teams, no matter how good or bad they are. Absorb that point before making a Raiders Steelers prediction.
But strictly looking at team talent, the Steelers are clearly the better team. The quarterback, running back, and wide receiving groups on this Steelers team ranks among the best in the entire league and receivers such as Chase Claypool are capable of exploding for a huge touchdown on a dime. Against the tired and worn out Raiders, the Steelers can play half as well as they did last week and still emerge with an easy victory this week on their home field. That is something to think about when evaluating the Raiders Steelers odds.
Final Raiders-Steelers Prediction & Pick
While Las Vegas' victory last week was extremely impressive, it's not sustainable as they head east and have one less off day than normal to prepare. The Steelers, building off the momentum from their huge win in Buffalo, cruise to an easy two-score victory as they improve to 2-0 on the season.
FINAL PICK: Steelers -6 1/2 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe