NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/3)
Alex Christenson
After a wild ending to Monday’s game, the Las Vegas Raiders will travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. Both teams secured their first win of the season in Week 1, the Pittsburgh defense will look hold off the Raiders offense as home favorites.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week 2 odds
Date/Time: September 19, 1 p.m. ET
Arena: Heinz
How to watch: CBS
Opening odds: Steelers -5.5 | O/U 48 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Latest Raiders-Steelers odds
Looking for the latest odds for this matchup? Here they are, with the best prices from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Steelers -5.5
- Total: 48
Opening odds – Raiders-Steelers
The Raiders and Steelers each came into Week 1 as underdogs and came out with a win while covering the spread. Now the two get to face each other in Week 2 with the Steelers coming in as the favorites by less than a touchdown. This game does come with an over/under (48) that is slightly higher then what we may expect after what we saw with the Steelers defense versus a high-powered offense like the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
Quarterback analysis – Derek Carr vs. Ben Roethlisberger
The Raiders offense was something else against the Ravens Monday night, and it wasn’t that pretty. Derek Carr was forced to throw a total of 56 times, completing 34. He missed Darren Waller nine times out of his 19 targets. While Carr didn’t look good, he did throw for 435 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. We know what to expect from Carr, and while they found a way to close out the game in overtime, this weekend will be another tough opponent for Carr and company to face.
On the opposite side is Ben Roethlisberger, who didn’t do much overall in Week 1 but got the job done as the Steelers defense showed up and showed out. Roethlisberger threw for 188 yards and one touchdown versus the Buffalo Bills in a very slow-paced game. As Najee Harris gets settled into this offense, expect Roethlisberger to do minimum work while managing the game.
Latest Raiders betting news & info
The Raiders did damage in two quarters, the second and fourth, to force the game to go into overtime to defeat the Baltimore Ravens. The game may have actually ended by the fourth quarter if Carr wasn’t missing targets or a couple of plays weren’t called back. Josh Jacobs was going back and forth before the game and no one knew what to expect from him once he was listed as active, but he ran in two scores on just 34 rushing yards on 10 carries. As mentioned above, Carr was also missing his targets throughout drives leaving the Raiders drives short at times.
For the Raiders, last season wasn’t as bad as it seemed, as they went 8-8 ATS and 7-9 in the O/U category. This team could be productive on the total point side of betting if the connection between Carr and Waller becomes solidified. For the spread, that may be the trickier side as the Raiders have the eighth-toughest schedule and are only favored in six games this season, with an average of being favored by a field goal or less.
Latest Steelers betting news & info
All eyes were on the Pittsburgh defense in Week 1, and they shut down the Bills in the second half, keeping them to just two field goals in the fourth quarter. For the offense, Roethlisberger managed the game and threw for just 188 yards with one touchdown. The Steelers’ run game did not get established, as Harris had 16 carries for just 45 rushing yards. Once the rookie becomes comfortable and can get his feet off the ground, this offense will become more open. Pairing them with the Steelers defense could become something threatening to the rest of the league.
While last season, the Steelers found themselves more on the under for total points as they went 4-12, they were successful ATS as they went 9-7. With just eleven games from last season having the total points going over 40, the Steelers will most likely be in a similar position as their defense will keep the opposing team’s offensive production to a minimum.
Raiders vs. Steelers betting picks – NFL Week 2
The best route to take for this matchup is going to be taking the under of the total points as the Steelers defense will look to replicate their Week 1 performance versus the Raiders. The Steelers should also be able to cover the spread of -5.5 where most action will reside as this Steelers defense will punish Carr for missing on his targets.
Here are our betting picks for Raiders vs. Steelers in Week 2.
FTNBets best bets
- UNDER 48 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Steelers -5.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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