Raiders vs. Saints Point Spread: NFL Week 17 Odds, Prediction
Elimination has set in for both teams, although just one team appears to be vying to better their draft pick next season. New Orleans has dropped three of their last four outings and is coming off their worst loss of the season, a 34-0 defeat at Green Bay on Monday.
Las Vegas snapped a 10-game skid last week when they beat Jacksonville 19-14 in a win where the Raiders got quarterback Aidan O’Connell back. Raiders head coach Antonio Peirce has even told the media he’s getting tired of hearing about his team’s draft status — so expect Las Vegas to at least compete for the rest of the year
Kickoff at Caesars Superdome goes at 1 p.m. EST with the Raiders a slight -120 road moneyline favoruite and the total listed at 37.5 on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
As injuries pile up, New Orleans is quickly falling through the offensive ranks and therefore struggling to score. Last week’s shutout was the epitome of these scoring woes, but the whole month of December has seen the Saints score 47 points… in four games. Las Vegas ranks 29th in points per game this season with 17.6, and their 19-point outing last weekend is tied for their highest offensive total since November 3. The under is 4-1 in both these teams last five games.
Head-to-head, the Raiders are just 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 matchups against New Orleans. The Saints have covered in four of their last six times hosting the Raiders, but home field advantage hasn’t been too prominent for New Orleans this year as they enter Week 17 with a 2-5 home record.
Las Vegas Raiders
Rookie tight end Brock Bowers is about to break a 63-year-old NFL record. Back in 1961, Mike Ditka recorded 1,076 receiving yards, the most ever by a rookie tight end. With 11 catches for 99 yards in last week’s win, Bowers needs 10 yards to break Ditka’s record. Bowers’ 1,067 receiving yards ranks eighth in the NFL 100 more than any other tight end. Despite the historic season, Bowers remains +3000 to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year (the second-best odds).
The Raiders remain one of the NFL’s most injured teams this season. Entering last week, 10 of Las Vegas’ 22 starters are out of their lineup — which includes QB Gardner Minshew, defensive lineman Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, and even WR Devante Adams. The fact the Raiders are still even getting in spots to win games is well, something else.
New Orleans Saints
On Monday the Saints looked like an offence missing Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed, and more. The Spencer Rattler-led offence generated 196 yards, and the few times they entered opposition territory it ended with Rattler fumbling or tossing an interception.
This depleted Saints offence is visibly lacking weapons too. Rattler led the team with 28 rushing yards on five carries, while Foster Moreau’s two catches for 33 yards led the Saints. The time of possession battle was a disaster for New Orleans too, as they held the ball for 22:47. Time of possession’s been a struggle all season for the Saints; they rank fourth-worst in the NFL with 28:33 per game.
The injuries on offence continue to roll in too, as center Erik McCoy “avoided major injury” with an elbow injury suffered on Monday and his status in Week 17 is uncertain, while guard Lucas Patrick is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury.
LV
NO