Las Vegas Raiders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Raiders dodging a bullet

Almost getting two bye weeks in a row

This is an extremely exciting matchup that most of the NFL fans cannot wait to see. There's a bunch of storylines like Gruden going up against his former team etc. Both teams are playing well at the moment, coming off of a massive win in their previous matches. Raiders shocked the Chiefs in Kansas City with a spectacular performance, while the Buccaneers dominated the Packers on both sides of the ball. That is why this game was slated for the SNF spot, but later got moved into the 4pm spot, because it was uncertain if the game is gonna be played this week.

Reason for it was obviously a positive covid test. This time inside the Raiders organization. RT Trent Brown tested positive and considering he was in close contact with his teammates on the offensive line, all of their starters got placed on reserve/covid list and were isolated the entire week. They did the same with safety Jonathan Abram. Fortunately, all the other players besides Abram and Brown tested negative and were activated, meaning the game will proceed as scheduled.

One-time deal?

There was a lot of talk about the Bucs this week as well, but not for covid reasons. As mentioned above, first they dominated the Packers. If their performance on offense wasn't that surprising, their effort on the other side of the ball was. They completely shut down Aaron Rodgers and his high-octane offense. He was under pressure constantly and had nowhere to go with the ball. It's a performance that we haven't seen yet from Tampa Bay's pass defense. If they manage to add that element to an already stingy run defense, they could be a very dangerous opponent for anybody, moving forward.

They obviously understand that this is the season for them. Front office understands it and is making moves to improve this roster furthermore. Vita Vea got injured last week, but they immediately reacted with a trade for Steven McLendon from the Jets. He is not a flashy player, but a very solid run stopper at that nose tackle spot. He's already familiar with this defense, considering he played for Todd Bowles in New York. But that signing was completely overshadowed by the signing of Antonio Brown. He was reinstated by the league and immediately signed by the Bucs. With Godwin and Evans already on the roster, this definitely became the best WR group in the league.

Raiders v Buccaneers betting tips

It is very difficult to predict how this one is going to play out. First off all, because we have no idea if that performance from the Bucs defense was a one time deal or we can expect them to play like that moving forward. Or they just got Rodgers figured out and played them perfectly? Also, how important was Vea for that run defense? It is an extremely important question when you're going against Josh Jacobs and an offense that loves to run the ball and be physical up front.

I did find an interesting prop that I'd like to put a wager on. I don't often bet on defenders to make an interception, but this one doesn't look too bad. Raiders corner Trayvon Mullen has been playing some very good defense lately. He's constantly around the ball and has 1.0 passes deflected per game this season. He failed to haul one in for an interception so far, but this could be the game to do it. Tom Brady has thrown 4 interceptions so far and was especially vulnerable at those out-breaking routes. Mullen defends those well, because he's a long corner and has a good break on the ball out of off-coverage.

Also, don't forget to check out our new feature for comparing outright odds. These two opponents are both part of the AFC conference. Odds for winning it can be found with this link: https://theplayer.com/odds/american-football/usa/nfl/nfl-afc-conference-winner