Buffalo Bills vs

Las Vegas Raiders Prediction

Las Vegas Raiders Preview

The Raiders have been a little more inconsistent. They pass for 247.8 yards per game (14th in the league), but they do score 29.3 points per game (ninth). Second-year standout running back Josh Jacobs has been good, but nowhere near as effective as his rookie year. Vegas got torched by the Patriots in New England in Week 3, falling 36-20.

Veteran QB Derek Carr has been a consummate professional throughout his seven years with the Raiders, through a rebuild and relocation to Las Vegas. His patience may finally be rewarded, as he has the best batch of young, talented skill-position players he’s ever had around him. The three-time Pro Bowler has already thrown for 784 yards and six touchdowns, while completing 74 percent of his passes. He has yet to throw an interception.

Second-year running back Josh Jacobs has been good, but not great in the early stages of his sophomore campaign. After being named 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year by Pro Football Writers of America (but losing to Cardinals QB Kyler Murray in the AP ROY Award), he has seen some statistical regression. He’s down from 4.8 yards per carry to 3.7, and from 8.3 yards per catch to 7.5. But he is on track to blow away his rushing attempts and targets from last year.

Joining Carr and Jacobs is breakout tight end Darren Waller, a tall and solid target with great hands who hauled in 90 catches for 1,145 yards last season. The Raiders also have rookie receivers Henry Ruggs III (selected 12th overall) and Bryan Edwards (taken in the third round).

But the status of Ruggs (knee/hamstring) and Edwards (ankle) remains uncertain. Vegas has the second-most players on the NFL injury report this week. Veteran receiver Tyrell Williams (shoulder), tackles Trent Brown (calf) and Sam Young (groin), guard Richie Incognito (Achilles), and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski (pec) are among the others on the Raiders’ 16-person injury list.

Buffalo Bills Preview

One of the better games slated for Week 4 of the NFL will be the Buffalo Bills (3-0) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-1) this Sunday at 4:25. Buffalo enters Las Vegas as a -3 favorite (-127 ML), with the over/under listed at 49.5. Third-year Bills quarterback Josh Allen has looked great early, scoring at will and connecting with offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs. Veteran Raiders QB Derek Carr and his young batch of skill players have also looked very good at times, but they have not been a model of consistency. Here’s what you need to know ahead of this Sunday afternoon clash.

The Bills offense has excelled this season, averaging 31 points per game (third in the NFL), 330.3 passing yards per game (second), 27 completions per game (fourth), and 12.2 yards per reception (third). They won a 35-32 slugfest with the Los Angeles Rams at home last weekend

Third-year breakout star Josh Allen has played like a borderline MVP candidate through the first three games of the 2020 season, tossing 10 touchdowns to only one interception and completing 71.1 percent of his passes

Having played all three of his NFL seasons with coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll at the helm, Allen has a firm handle of the Bills’ offensive playbook. Buffalo runs offensive schemes that complement Allen’s strong, physical, and fast running ability as well as his canon of an arm. He has 1,038 passing yards on the young season, having hit 300 yards for the first time ever in Week 1 only to reach 400 yards passing one week later.

The Bills’ running game is strong, as well. Devin Singletary has picked up where he left off in his solid 2019 rookie campaign, once again averaging around 4.9-plus yards per carry and catching 70-plus percent of his targets. Buffalo’s third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the more bruising Zack Moss, joins the crafty and elusive Singletary to make for a very difficult tandem to defend.

Full Game Prediction

The only question for the Bills this year is what seemed like the only definite last season: defense. Buffalo has seen its defense go from one of the most elite units to one of the softest in the league. They rank 27th in opponent passing yards, 20th in rushing touchdowns allowed, and they have allowed more points to opponents each week of this season. The Bills have allowed teams to get back into games due to poor defensive execution. They look far too soft against the run, even getting gashed by the Rams’ Darrell Henderson due to poor footwork and tackling.

Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has a track record for not getting his defensive units to close out games efficiently. The Bills don’t seem focused enough defensively, like they get overwhelmed too easily. This will be something for Buffalo fans and bettors alike to watch closely, as the Bills have steadily allowed more passing yards, rushing yards, and points to opponents each week of this season.

However, Vegas ranks even worse in just about every defensive category. The Raiders have allowed 163.7 rushing yards per game (fifth-most in the NFL) and ten rushing first downs per game (also fifth-most). They also give up the eighth-most points per game (30.0). The Raiders would have a very difficult time keeping up with the high-flying Bills, even if they were fully healthy. The Bills just cannot be contained by this Raiders defense right now. Take Buffalo -3 and smash the over.