SNF Steelers vs. Raiders Week 3 odds and predictions
Every week, VSiN will be doing an in-depth dive on the week’s Sunday Night Football game. In Week 3, that game features the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Steelers were able to outlast the Cleveland Browns in a sloppy Monday Night Football matchup last week. They’ll now be looking to get over .500 against a Raiders team that was blown out by the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. But Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. will be looking to quickly turn things around and move to 2-1 on the year. With that out of the way, keep reading for our Steelers vs. Raiders preview, picks and player props.
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Steelers vs. Raiders Spread
Last week, the Steelers were able to earn a 26-22 win over the Browns. However, Pittsburgh’s offense was a nightmare in that game. Despite Deshaun Watson turning the ball over three times — and tight end David Njoku losing a fumble — the Steelers offense only scored 12 points in the win. Pittsburgh’s defense returned both an interception and a fumble for a touchdown in that one. So, after a 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, this offense was nonexistent again in Week 2. And offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s struggles from last year have carried over.
It just doesn’t seem likely that Kenny Pickett and the Steelers passing game will do a lot of damage this year, and I don’t see them doing it on the road — and they’ll also have to try and do so on six days of rest. The Raiders defense will present the Steelers with some opportunities, as Las Vegas plays a bend-don’t-break style under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The Raiders are happy to give up some short passes underneath, and they don’t go crazy trying to cover the middle of the field. They’re simply looking to avoid getting beat deep. But I don’t see the Steelers being able to exploit that. And Las Vegas should also get to the quarterback a bit in this game. The Raiders weren’t doing it in Week 1 or 2, but the Pittsburgh offensive line has been a nightmare early in the year. That leads me to believe that we’ll see Maxx Crosby in the backfield quite often.
I also think we’ll see the Raiders offense get going in this game. Josh Jacobs hasn’t looked like himself this year, but he should be excited about this matchup. The Steelers have been awful against the run to start the season, as they gave up 188 rushing yards against the 49ers and then 198 against the Browns. Of course, that was likely a focal point of practice for the Pittsburgh defense throughout the week, but I don’t see the team figuring it out in the span of six days. And Jacobs just feels due for a big game. He was the NFL’s rushing leader in 2022, but he has rushed for just 46 yards on 28 carries through two games. Las Vegas will try to establish him early here, and that would make life a lot easier on Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s at his best when the threat of the run is keeping the defense honest.
This could also be a game in which Davante Adams really cooks. The Steelers secondary has looked lousy to start the year. Patrick Peterson finally looks like a guy that is a year or two away from retirement, and Levi Wallace hasn’t been able to cover anybody. So, when you combine that with Adams’ ability to create separation, there will be plenty of opportunities for Garoppolo to find his star wideout.
I also like the fact that Las Vegas is 3-0 both straight-up and against the spread as a home favorite of 3 or fewer points under head coach Josh McDaniels. This team has been able to protect home field in games that are expected to be tight.
Steelers vs. Raiders Total
This game has an extremely low total, but it’s still hard to see it going Over. As I mentioned earlier, this Steelers team hasn’t been able to come away with anything offensively this season. Pittsburgh has scored a total of 19 points on offense this season, and Las Vegas’ defense isn’t terrible. Sure, the team got lit up in a loss to the Bills last week, but that offense should be one of the best units in the league this year. And there isn’t nearly as much talent on the Steelers roster as there is on the Bills roster. Maybe I’d feel differently if Pittsburgh decided to play Jaylen Warren more than Najee Harris, but that move doesn’t feel like it’s coming anytime soon.
These are also two teams that prefer to play a run-heavy style, so there won’t be too many explosive plays in this one. Without those, it’s hard for games to go Over. It should also be noted that these teams combined to score only 23 points when they met in Pittsburgh last season. That marked the second year in a row in which the two went Under the total.
Steelers vs. Raiders Player Props
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Josh Jacobs Over 71.5 Rushing Yards
Given the way the Steelers have struggled against the run, I think it’s fair to expect at least 72 rushing yards from Jacobs in this one. And I don’t hate the idea of playing Jacobs to rush for 100+ yards at +295 at DraftKings Sportsbook. I know Jacobs has been a disaster this season, but Las Vegas is going to try to get him going after last week’s nine carries for -2 rushing yards. The success of this football team is directly tied to Jacobs’ production on the ground, so the Raiders know they need to figure this out.
Steelers vs. Raiders Best Bet
The Steelers beat the Browns on Monday night, but that win was hardly impressive. Cleveland turned the ball over four times in that game, gift wrapping Pittsburgh a win in that one. The Steelers weren’t able to do anything offensively, so it’s hard to believe they’ll go on the road and beat a solid team. I expect this game to be one in which Las Vegas’ defense shows up in a big way, and the Raiders offense will do just enough to get by in this spot. And Jacobs will be a big part of that.
Bet: Raiders -2.5 (-110)
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