We’ve got a special Saturday Night Football game as the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers both try to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win.
Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8)
Game Details:
- Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA
- Time: Saturday, December 24th at 8:15 p.m. ET
- Channel: NFL Network
Betting Stats:
- MONEYLINE: PIT ML (-135), LV ML (+115)
- SPREAD: PIT -2.5
- OVER/UNDER: 38.5
Preview:
A few weeks ago you probably wouldn’t have imagined that this game could have playoff ramifications but here we are with both teams two games out of the final spot with three games to play. The loser is all but eliminated.
When these two teams met last year, the Raiders defeated the Steelers 26-17 and Derek Carr completed 28-of-37 passes for 382 yards and two TDs in the win. Las Vegas will need the same kind of effort from Carr this week, which is more likely given that this season he has Davante Adams, who ranks 4th in the NFL with 1,275 receiving yards.
Pittsburgh has also allowed the fifth-most receiving yards and 16 touchdowns to wide receivers through 15 weeks and are the 24th-ranked pass defense overall, allowing 238.8 passing yards per game this year. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Carr force-feed targets to Adams, who could dominate on the outside.
If Adams is bottled up for whatever reason, the Raiders will be able to turn to Josh Jacobs, who has proven himself to be one of the better running backs in the NFL ahead of a big free agent payday next year. Jacobs leads the NFL in rushing with 1,495 yards and is tied for 5th with 11 rushing touchdowns.
Jacobs has been crucial in Las Vegas’ recent success since he’s averaging 134.8 rushing yards in his past five games. However, he will have a tough time against a Steelers’ defense that is 7th in the NFL and has allowed just 109 rushing yards per game this season.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers will hope to continue getting second-year running back Najee Harris going. Harris is averaging 71.5 rushing yards per game with five touchdowns over his last five games, which is far better than he was doing earlier in the season. He’ll also have a chance to keep that momentum going against a Raiders’ defense that allows 117.4 rushing yards per game this season.
However, the best way to attack the Las Vegas defense is through the air. The Raiders have the NFL’s 26th-ranked pass defense, allowing 244.3 yards per game through the air. They’ve also allowed a 68% completion rate, which is the fourth-highest in the NFL, so they will provide opportunities for rookie Kenny Pickett to beat them.
After missing last week’s game against the Panthers with a concussion, Pickett will be back under center on Saturday night. The University of Pittsburgh product has completed 65% of his passes this season and has really cut back on his turnovers after a rough start to his career. In his last start against Atlanta, the rookie completed 16-of-28 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. If he’s able to avoid mistakes like that again, the Steelers will be in this game at home.
Pick:
Las Vegas 27 Pittsburgh 23
Player Props:
Davante Adams OVER 71.5 receiving yards
71.5? Really? Adams has gone over this in five of his last seven (one time he finished with 71 yards) and eight of his last 11. We already discussed the Steelers’ issues in the secondary, and we know that Carr is going to target Adams with so much on the line and being held to just four catches last game. Lock this one in.
SPORTSBOOK: Bet at DraftKings (-115)
Kenny Pickett OVER 185.5 passing yards
We discussed above that the Raiders can be beaten through the air. I don’t trust Najee Harris, so I think the Steelers will need to throw. Pickett has gone over this prop in five of his last six games, so I like him to continue that trend this week.
SPORTSBOOK: Bet at Draftkings (-115)
Josh Jacobs anytime touchdown scorer
This is a bit of a fun one, but Jacobs has just been playing so well of late. I expect this to be a physical game, and I think Jacobs will find the end zone at least once.
SPORTSBOOK: Bet at FANDUEL (-100)
