Sunday, December 6, 2020, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 1 p.m. ET
Raiders at Jets Betting Preview: Raiders (-8/-114), Jets (+8/-106)
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders (6-5) will try and snap a two-game losing streak when they travel to the East Coast for the second consecutive week to play the winless Jets (0-11). It’s the second season in a row that the teams have played at MetLife Stadium. The Raiders went into last year’s contest as six-point favorites, but New York pulled off a 34-3 upset behind the play of quarterback Sam Darnold, who passed for 315 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score.
Las Vegas, in a battle with Miami, Indianapolis and Baltimore for the final two wild-card spots in the AFC, comes in off an ugly 43-6 loss at Atlanta. The Raiders finished with five turnovers, including four by quarterback Derek Carr, who became the first player since Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew to lose three fumbles in a game. Minshew accomplished that feat on Oct. 6, 2019 against Carolina.
Defensively, the Raiders go against a Jets’ offense that ranks last in the league in a number of offensive categories, including points per game (13.8), passing offense (170.3 yards per game) and total offense (267.8). Las Vegas has managed just 12 quarterback sacks this season and is allowing 265 yards per game through the air but has played well against the run, ranking 12th by allowing 113.4 yards per game. Starting defensive end Clelin Ferrell and slot corner Lamarcus Joyner both returned to practice after being placed on the COVID-19 list and could play Sunday.
New York Jets
The Trevor Lawrence Watch has already begun in the Big Apple where the winless Jets hold a one-game edge over 1-10 Jacksonville for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Darnold, the third overall pick of the 2018 draft, returned to the starting lineup in last week’s 20-3 loss to Miami after missing two games with a right shoulder injury and will likely be showcased the rest of the season for a potential trade. He completed just 16 of 27 passes for 197 yards and no touchdowns while throwing two interceptions against the Dolphins.
Darnold completed 20 of 29 passes during his strong showing against the Raiders last season. Frank Gore, 37, is having another solid season at running back with 521 yards on 141 carries and had his best output of the season in the loss to the Dolphins when he gained 74 yards on 18 carries. Jamison Crowder leads the receiving corps with 35 catches for 456 yards and three touchdowns.
Former Outland Trophy winner Quinnen Williams is starting to live up to his huge billing after being the third pick of the 2019 draft. The defensive tackle from Alabama has 41 tackles and five sacks and had seven tackles, two pass deflections, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble against Miami. Inside linebacker Neville Hewitt leads the team with 89 tackles, which is tied for 11th in the NFL.
Raiders at Jets Betting Pick for Week 13
Las Vegas, which two weeks ago were on the verge of sweeping the two-game series with defending Super Bowl champ Kansas City, now will try and snap a two-game losing streak. Quarterback Derek Carr needs 354 yards passing to become the fifth player in NFL history with 3,000 or more pass yards in his first seven seasons.
New York stunned the Raiders with the 31-point trouncing in a similar scheduling situation last season. But this is a must-win for Jon Gruden and company if they hope to remain in a crowded AFC playoff race.
Raiders at Jets Betting Pick
Raiders 34, Jets 21
Raiders at Jets Best Bet for Week 13
Despite his nightmarish game at Atlanta, Carr still ranks fourth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL with a 108.7 passer rating, throwing 19 touchdown passes compared to just four interceptions. Look for Carr and the Raiders, who have scored 31 or more points six times this season, to get back on track against the winless Jets.
Raiders at Jets Best Bet: OVER 47 total points (-106)
