Vibes
After close losses to the Jaguars and Broncos over the last two weeks, the Raiders appear to be on the cusp of getting their third win of the season. This week could be a great opportunity to do just that. Las Vegas comes into this game extremely well-rested after having not played in over 10 days. Now, they get to host a Cowboys team that is reeling from two straight double-digit losses.
Injuries
The Raiders are coming into this game relatively healthy. One notable exception to that is guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (ankle) is now done for the year. He joins Kolton Miller as the second starting offensive lineman for Las Vegas to be out for the season.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys seem to be getting several key members of their defense back this week. It could not happen at a better time as Dallas is giving up over 30 points a game over the last three weeks. However, they could still be without defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (calf), who has not been practicing this week.
Fantasy Focus
With two shaky defenses going at it, this is a great matchup for fantasy purposes. Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty are both must-starts. Even Tre Tucker is a solid flex option in deeper leagues. On the other side, it is a great week to have wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Also, leave Dak Prescott on the bench this week at your own peril. He may not have looked great the last two weeks, but that was against very good defenses. The Raiders’ secondary will not be able to hold up against Dallas’ receiver duo as the Cardinals and Broncos did.
Gambling Corner
Honestly, it is hard not to love the Raiders money line this week at +160. At worst, this feels like a toss-up game, so the value is too good to pass up. Also, over 49.5 total points (-118) feels like an absolute steal. This game should be a race to 30. You would probably be safe taking an alternate over on something in the 50s to get even better value. Finally, George Pickens offers great value to score +150. He already has six scores on the year and should see a lot of matchups with either Kyu Blu Kelly or rookie Darien Porter. Both would heavily favor Pickens.
Expectations
Raider Nation has every right to expect a win this week. They are playing at home with a long rest. Las Vegas has been playing better lately. Dallas has not. All that being said, there is a chance that as many as six rookies could be seeing significant playing time on Monday Night. Rookies are unpredictable; they often make costly mistakes. This is a big reason why rebuilding teams usually don’t win many games. Nevertheless, this one feels very gettable.
Final Prediction: Raiders 31, Cowboys 27
Related: Caleb Rogers Finally Getting Some Playing Time
*Top Photo: Getty Images