The Las Vegas Raiders are back from their bye week—and so are we, with your all-in-one source for injury updates, fantasy tips, betting picks and more. Let’s dive in!
Vibes
The bye could not have come at a better time for Las Vegas. They had just come off their most demoralizing defeat yet in a season that has seen plenty of them. With the extra week to regroup, we could see a rejuvenated Raiders team this week. This week, they take on a tough but inconsistent Jaguars team. It is worth noting that Jacksonville is also coming off of a bye week, so it will be interesting to see which team has made the most of that extra time.
Injury News
Looking at the injury report, the Raiders appear to be the healthiest they have been in weeks. Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, both returning from injury, should be huge for this offense. Looking at Jacksonville, rookie two-way player Travis Hunter is headed to injured reserve. The Jags will also be without Tim Patrick, which further adds to their wide receiver depth concerns. One player to keep an eye on is starting linebacker Devin Lloyd, who is listed as questionable.
Fantasy Focus
For the Raiders, Brock Bowers should immediately go back to being a solid TE1. Looking at the rest of the roster, Meyers and running back Ashton Jeanty should not be considered as more than FLEX plays this week. For Meyers, we just do not know what the plan for him is between the trade rumors, the rookies needing to play more, and the acquisition of Tyler Lockett. On the opposing sideline, Travis Etienne Jr. remains a low-end RB2 simply because of volume and Brian Thomas Jr. could be a very high-upside WR2 this week against a rough Raiders secondary.
Gambling Corner
Sorry, Raider Nation, but it is hard to see a world in which Jacksonville does not cover the -3 spread. Yes, the Jags have lost two straight, but the bye mitigates a lot of that negative momentum. In a vacuum, Jacksonville is simply a much better team. Las Vegas might struggle to stay within 10.
Another bet to hammer this week is over 43.5 total points at -115. Either the Raiders will get blown out and the over will hit, or their offense will get going and the over will hit. Finally, Dyami Brown to score this week offers some great value at +210. There is a very good chance that he beats Kyu Blu Kelly deep for a touchdown catch.
Expectations
Coming off of a bye and playing at home, the Raiders should at least look competitive, regardless of their opponent. However, it might be too much to expect the Raiders to beat a tough Jaguars team that is also coming off of a bye. At this point, we are in one of those seasons where it is more about the process than results.
Final Prediction: Raiders 16, Jaguars 20
Related: Is There Still Hope For Las Vegas This Season?
*Top Photo: Getty Images