Jacobs And Adams Will Help Raiders Cover Spread Against Rams

Raiders vs. Rams, 8:15 ET

If you like watching two teams that have underperformed and have a lot of questions for the season and probably the next season, this is the game for you. In what I'm sure the NFL thought was going to be a game between two likely playoff teams, we get squads with a combined record of 8-16. While the Raiders have looked better lately, hope is (or isn't, depending on how you look at it) on the horizon with the addition of Baker Mayfield.

The Raiders are actually trending up, though. The Raiders come into this game on a three game winning streak and they've done it in a variety of ways. Starting with Denver, they played the Broncos game, a slow-paced low-scoring game that saw them get a touchdown in overtime to win. The next game was the opposite, almost no defense was played and points were just racked up constantly. While most games they relied on Derek Carr and Devante Adams, in this game Josh Jacobs literally and figuratively carried the Raiders to victory. He amassed 303 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Last week, they played a game that they were in control of most of the second half. The Carr-to-Adams connection is working out well and if they can keep Jacobs in the mix they will be the team I expected them to be at the beginning of the year. This game shouldn't require them to be perfect for them to win.

The Rams are reigning Super Bowl champs, but they definitely are not going to be repeating as champions. After being 3-3, they've lost their past six games. Half of those games were by more than one score so they weren't particularly close in all of these either. Injuries are to blame for a lot of this, but not all of it. I am doubting that Mayfield will take over, but the Rams have no one that you'd be concerned with on the offense. Even a sub-par Raiders defense should be able to handle them with little issue. On defense, some of the big names are still there - Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner - but they are missing their best player, Aaron Donald. That should potentially open up the running lanes for Jacobs, but also allow time for Carr to throw the ball.

I like the Raiders to win this game and cover the -6 spread. I don't think that the Rams are going to be able to keep up with the Raiders offensively. It isn't that Las Vegas has a shutdown defense, but there are just too many injuries and question marks for them to pull off a victory. I do think the Raiders are headed toward a loss soon, but it shouldn't happen here.

I'll take a flyer on Jacobs at +390 and Adams +450 for first touchdown scorers as well. I wouldn't be opposed to taking them at +205 and +235 for their first team touchdown as well.

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