MNF: Lions vs Raiders Prediction and Game Thread

Monday Night Football, Week 8. Tonight the Detroit Lions host the Las Vegas Raiders at 8:15 pm EDT. The Lions are 7 point home favorites against the Raiders according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

The 3-4 Las Vegas Raiders are a team that has benefitted greatly from one of the easiest schedules in the NFL to date. The Raiders have faced just two teams with a winning record and they lost both games. The Raiders’ three victories came against three of the weakest teams in the NFL in the 2-6 New England Patriots, the 2-5 Green Bay Packers, and the 3-5 Denver Broncos. The Raiders struggle to put points on the board, ranking 30th in the NFL in points scored. They haven’t scored more than 21 points in any game this season. The Raiders rank last in the NFL in rushing yards, last in the NFL in offensive turnovers, and last in the NFL in turnover differential. In short, this is a bad Raiders team that is worse than their mediocre record indicates. About the only thing the Raiders do well is defend the pass. That isn’t enough against the better teams in the league.

Unlike the Raiders, the Detroit Lions are a good, well balanced team. The Lions have a top 5 offense and a top 10 defense. They rank 6th in the NFL in passing yards, 10th in rushing yards, 2nd in rushing yards allowed, and 5th in offensive turnovers. This is a really good Lions team that has dispatched all four sub-.500 teams on their schedule to date by two touchdowns or more.

I don’t think this game will be particularly close. The Lions are simply a much better team than the Raiders, and the Lions take care of business against lesser teams. I’m taking the Lions over the Raiders tonight.

I have submitted my pick using the widget from our partners at Tallysight. You can follow all my picks throughout the season, as I prove for another season how I’m not made to be a gambler. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how bad an idea it would be to bet real money based on my picks. Don’t do it. Don’t even consider it. Make your own picks, and good luck. And if you do bet, consider using our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.