Las Vegas and Pittsburgh provided us with two of the biggest upsets of Week 1 as they knocked off AFC Championship hopefuls Baltimore and Buffalo.
The Steelers needed a heavy dose of defensive excellence to leave Buffalo 1-0 and plenty of questions remain about their ability on offense after posting an underwhelming 252 yards of total offense.
In stark contrast, the Raiders managed a league-best 491 yards of total offense as they shocked the Ravens in overtime. Las Vegas overturned a 14-point deficit to get the victory and now head out on the road hoping to build on an impressive away record in 2020 having gone 6-2 on their travels.
Las Vegas has caused Pittsburgh plenty of headaches in the past but overcoming the Steelers’ all-conquering defense will be no easy task.
To add to the excitement surrounding the Week 2 matchup we’ve put together a same-game parlay that pays +987.
Las Vegas Raiders alternate spread +7.5 (-140)
Chase Claypool to score a touchdown (+155)
Henry Ruggs under 36.5 receiving yards (-114)
Parlay odds: +987
Let’s take an in-depth look at each leg.
Las Vegas Raiders +7.5 (-140)
Without falling into the age-old trap of getting carried away by what we saw in Week 1 of the NFL season, the Raiders appear a better team than many had suggested heading into this year.
PFF placed Las Vegas’ offensive line 26th in their preseason rankings but it stood up well to a lot of what Baltimore threw at it on Monday. While it didn’t make much headway in the run game, it offered Derek Carr good protection. Carr took full advantage of that, particularly after starting to spread the targets out amongst his arsenal of weapons.
They’ll need to raise their game again for the challenge of facing the Steelers front seven, which wreaked havoc against Buffalo.
Las Vegas’ defense also caught the against the Ravens, with Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson facing a 54.5% pressure rate. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is arguably in a worst state than Baltimore’s and while Jackson was able to extend plays with his legs to keep his team in it, Ben Roethlisberger has never possessed that skillset.
An excellent record on the road last year and the fact they’ve covered in the last four meetings against Pittsburgh makes taking Raiders with a 7-point start an appealing option on the alternative spread.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Las Vegas Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Chase Claypool to score a touchdown (+155)
Diontae Johnson was Big Ben’s favorite target against the Bills, turning his five receptions into 36 yards and Pittsburgh’s only offensive touchdown. Johnson was Roethlisberger’s comfort blanket last year but couldn’t always convert those targets into TDs.
Chase Claypool bagged two more touchdowns than Johnson in 2020 and appeals slightly more than the rest of the Steelers receiving core to get in the end zone this week. The Raiders struggled to cover receivers last year, giving up 18 touchdowns to the position and we saw Marquise Brown get in the endzone for Baltimore on Monday.
Claypool was expected to have a big season for Pittsburgh this year and after a false start at Buffalo, he can open his account against the Raiders.
Henry Ruggs under 36.5 receiving yards (-114)
While one wide receiver could be poised for a big Week 2, it could pay to fade Henry Ruggs against this Steelers defense.
The highest-drafted wide receiver in the 2020 draft has really struggled to carve out a role for himself in this offense and despite registering a joint-high 56 snaps against Baltimore, he only hauled in two targets for 46 yards.
Ruggs hasn’t posted more than three receptions in an NFL game since Vegas picked him up and Carr seems to have lost some faith in him having shown a preference for other targets before turning to Ruggs in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game.
We have NFL same game parlays for EVERY GAME of Week 2! Check out the rest of them here
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