Both the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders will be bidding for win number one on the season when they go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas. Arizona got blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs, while Las Vegas took a tough AFC West loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Here are our predictions and best bets for this Cardinals-Raiders contest.
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Arizona Cardinals vs Las Vegas Raiders spread, odds & betting lines
Point Spread: Raiders -5.5, Cardinals +5.5
Total Points Over/Under: 51.5 points
Money Line Odds: Raiders -225, Cardinals +190
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Arizona Cardinals vs Las Vegas Raiders expert picks
We have three NFL picks for this week’s clash between Arizona and Las Vegas, including 2-star selections both against the spread and on the over/under.
Against the spread pick: Cardinals +5.5 (-110) over Raiders
You never like to use the word “desperate” this early in the season, but based on the performances of both teams in Week 1 that word is pretty appropriate. The Cardinals were throttled at home by the Chiefs and now head to Las Vegas to take on a Raiders team that was pushed around by the Chargers while looking to assert its dominance in the AFC West.
The key here is the struggling offensive line of the Raiders. The Cardinals don’t have a killer pass-rush like the Chargers and they continue to line up in a wide-nine formation, but with a weak offensive line and a somewhat anemic Raiders ground game, they may not have to do much to compete in a game that could be a bit of a back-and-forth. The secondary will be tested often and the Cardinals’ use of man-coverage may hinder them against the likes of Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and even Darren Waller, so expect to see the Raiders score some points. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals are going to come at the Raiders from all angles. They will utilize James Conner early and try to establish more play-action downfield. We also expect Kyler Murray to get a little more creative and extend plays with his legs. The real issue is this receiving corps. Marquise Brown is solid and a healthier Zach Ertz will help on the underneath, but if the Cardinals are going to score points, they need their secondary wideouts to step up. It’s more than possible, so regardless of who wins this one outright, expect it to be close.
Be sure to check out our full Arizona Cardinals vs Las Vegas Raiders predictions
Over/Under totals pick: Over 51.5
Desperate teams take a lot of chances and both the Raiders and Cardinals are built to do just that. Arizona had trouble containing the Chiefs last week and the Raiders have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball with Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. Man-coverage, a wide-nine formation and a mediocre pass-rush can make it difficult to stifle an offense that has so many different directions to take. It should be interesting to see if Las Vegas tries to establish the run early, but in the end, this feels a lot like Derek Carr will be heaving the ball downfield and scoring some decent points. But Murray isn’t going to stand by and just watch his team crumble like they did last week, so expect a fight from him for all four quarters. Expect them to start with the ground game, but don’t be surprised if this one turns into a bit of a track meet as Murray looks to sling the rock downfield and attack the Raiders’ secondary. Even if the Raiders’ pass-rush finds ways to put pressure on Murray, his ability to roll out and create a little chaos should be on full display. The race to victory will be fun to watch in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Anytime touchdown scorer pick: Darren Waller, TE, LV (+135)
Waller gets a more favorable matchup against the Cardinals than he had against the Chargers. Arizona just gave up 8 receptions and 121 yards to Travis Kelce in Week 1 and could be a defense that gets picked on – by both opposing teams and bettors alike – very frequently this year. Waller lined up in the slot 66% of the time and finished 4th in YAC/REC for all TEs with at least 4 targets during Week 1. His aDOT was 2nd best behind only Harrison Bryant for all TEs, so Waller is stretching the field nicely in this new offense. Well into plus money, the former Georgia Tech standout has good value on finding the endzone.
Be sure to check out all of our expert betting insight, analysis and even more NFL Predictions and Best Bets from the rest of the Week 2 action.
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