Raiders vs. Patriots NFL Week 15 prediction: Preview, odds and injury report
The final four games will say a lot about the Las Vegas Raiders and the direction they will take in the offseason, whether or not their long-shot playoff bid succeeds.
Sunday, the Raiders face the New England Patriots, with kickoff at 1:05 p.m. from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Granted, there’s plenty of evidence to push the Raiders in certain directions already. Las Vegas has built and blown big leads in four of its games this season and lost all of them.
And it certainly didn’t help last week, with a three-game winning streak in hand, when the Raiders led 16-3 over the Los Angeles Rams only to lose 17-16, dropping Las Vegas to 5-8.
The Raiders’ offense couldn’t get much of anything going under Derek Carr, except a touchdown on the opening possession.
Las Vegas blew opportunities to put the game away, pushing the Raiders into an even deeper hole to climb out of if they hope to claim the last AFC playoff spot.
The Raiders need plenty of help, even assuming they can beat the Patriots, Steelers, 49ers and Chiefs in their final four games.
That is a very tall order.
Can the Raiders bounce back and find some life? Getting back tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow from injuries certainly would aid the cause. Both had yet to be activated from injured reserve as of Saturday morning.
Las Vegas and New England meet in a reunion game for Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and Patriots coach Bill Belichick. McDaniels was hired off Belichick’s staff after serving as offensive coordinator.
Injury report
The Raiders listed RB Josh Jacobs (quad/hand), DT Andrew Billings (fibula), G/T Jermaine Eluemunor (oblique/wrist), LB Denzel Perryman (hip) and T Jackson Barton (back) as questionable. G Alex Bars (knee) and CB Rock Ya-Sin (knee) were both ruled out.
The Patriots list CB Jack Jones (knee), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), T Yodny Cajuste (calf/back), LS Joe Cardona (ankle) and WR Jakob Meyers (concussion) as questionable. RB Damien Harris (thigh), WR DeVante Parker (concussion), OL Isaiah Wynn (fott) and CB Jalen Mills (groin) are listed as out.
Line and over/under
The Raiders are 1.5-point favorites by FanDuel. The over/under is 44.5.
How to watch the game
The game will be shown on Fox.
Quick analysis
The Raiders have been a disappointment all year. High preseason expectations have turned into season-long struggles and inconsistencies. ... The Raiders last season went on a late run to get into the playoffs, but this year doesn’t feel like a repeat is in store because of their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone. ... The defense has had its fair share of disappointment, too. ... To put up some W’s in these final four games, the Raiders will need to click early on both sides of the ball and maintain it through all four quarters to avoid any more come-from-ahead defeats in these final four games. ... Can they do it?
Prediction: Raiders 27, Patriots 23
