The Patriots finally got the kind of response they needed in Buffalo, and now they get a shot to back it up at home against the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
New England comes in off an upset win after getting blown out 35-6 in Jacksonville the week before. Las Vegas, meanwhile, is trying to regroup after taking its first loss of the season, a 30-27 home defeat to the Chiefs. The Raiders had opened 3-0 with wins over the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints.
This matchup also brings a recent edge for Las Vegas, which has won three straight against New England, including a 20-13 win last September.
The betting market has held steady, with neither the spread nor the total moving since open. The only notable tweak has come on the under, which is now listed at -115 after opening at -110.
SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan laid out the case for backing the Patriots in his Road to 272 Bets column, pointing to how much the line has shifted since the lookahead number.
"There's no denying the Raiders have earned their record to begin their season; their metrics have been strong, and they're 3-1 on the year, but with that being said, I think we can sell high on them after they've covered the spread each week. Before the season began, the Patriots were 8.5-point favorites in this game on the lookahead line.
Now, the line is down to 3.5. Are we putting enough stock into a four-game sample size to move the line five whole points?
I'm not quite convinced of that."
MacMillan also pointed to New England’s defensive profile, noting that even with the early-season struggles, the Patriots have still been solid on that side of the ball. He cited New England’s eighth-place ranking in opponent success rate, ahead of Las Vegas at 11th.
His biggest concern with the Raiders is the ground game, which he says has lagged badly so far. Las Vegas ranks 29th in rush EPA and 30th in rush success rate, leaving the offense heavily dependent on Kirk Cousins’ arm.
That’s why MacMillan isn’t buying the Raiders as strongly as the record suggests, and why he sees New England as the better side here. He also noted that the Patriots’ only home game so far ended in a 20-3 win over the Steelers, while Las Vegas’ road victories came against the Chargers and Saints.
"I think New England can string two wins together and likely cover the spread in the process."
That’s the direction here: Patriots at home, with a chance to keep building off the Buffalo upset and do enough to cover against a Raiders team that still looks vulnerable despite the early record.
In Other News...
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There are only a handful of players left on the current roster who were around for McDaniels' final season, but the memory of that stretch still lingers in the building. Malcolm Koonce is among the holdovers, and his rise after McDaniels' departure stands as one of the clearer examples of how different things looked once the coaching change was made, which helps explain why this matchup carries a little extra edge for some in the locker room. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Raiders, the noise matters because Maxx Crosby is not just a name in speculation, he is the centerpiece of a defense and one of the most recognizable players on the roster. Any idea of moving him would put Las Vegas at the center of a huge debate about where the team is headed and how much it would take to even consider listening, while the talk around Dallas keeps circling the same basic question: how far would the Cowboys go to fix a problem that showed up again on a national stage? [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A Marvin Harrison Jr. Decision That Changes Everything
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For Las Vegas, the possibility is hard to ignore because this is the sort of move that can alter the outlook for the rest of the season and beyond. The destination is still unsettled, and there has even been speculation about a mystery team, but the Cardinals are clearly looking for meaningful value back in any deal. For now, the Raiders are left waiting to see whether this becomes a real opportunity or just another deadline name that never quite lands. [Read more 🡒]