We’re back from the bye week with the typical Gamble Ramble. The picks have been hot, even if the Las Vegas Raiders are not. Let’s try to keep it going this week as the Raiders take on the Houston Texans. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Saturday morning.
Smartest Bet: Foster Moreau to Score a Touchdown (+170)
The Raiders are riddled with injuries, especially when it comes to their pass catchers. Darren Waller is out, and both Mack Hollins and Hunter Renfrow have been limited in practice this week, leaving them questionable for the game as well. There’s a real chance that Moreau will be the second or third option in the passing game this week. At worst, he will be the fourth, which, as we have seen from Hollins, isn’t a bad spot to be in either. Expect Moreau to get a bunch of redzone looks. His chances of scoring are pretty high for a guy with +170 odds of doing so.
Safest Bet: Las Vegas Raiders Moneyline (-295)
Betting the Raiders to win feels almost untouchable at this point. However, this one is a lock. The Raiders are coming off a bye week and playing a home game against the lowly Texans. Technically, Houston actually has the better record of the two teams thanks to a tie. However, these teams are not nearly as close as their records would suggest. The Texans are a dumpster fire that is actively tanking. The Raiders have had a lot of bad luck this year but have been competitive against good teams like the Chiefs. The Raiders simply have too much talent and need this game too badly. No surprises this week.
Best Risky Bet: Derek Carr to Score a Touchdown (+500)
Just to be clear, we are talking about rushing and receiving touchdowns here. While Carr is not much of a running threat, there is reason for optimism here. First, we have seen over the past few weeks that opposing defenses are daring him to use his legs. The opportunities for him to take off are there for him. Also, he is a competent runner, as we saw against Denver. Finally, this could be the element that the Raiders’ red zone offense is missing. That could be a revelation that comes out of the bye week. If Carr does end up missing several of his red zone weapons this week, he may have to use his legs out of necessity. This might be worth throwing a few bucks on given the value at +500.
*Top Photo: Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sports Wire via Getty Images