The Raiders (+11) are gearing up to welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers (-11) to Oakland Coliseum. This late afternoon matchup kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET and FOX is scheduled to broadcast the action.
Betting Preview: Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
In this Sunday AFC game, Pittsburgh is projected as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 11 points. The Steelers are also receiving -550 moneyline odds while the Raiders are +375. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 51.5 points. If Pittsburgh allows points early, it’ll likely create a worthwhile live betting scenario.
The sharp action is siding with both the Raiders and the over. The line initially opened at 13 while the game’s over/under was originally just 49.5.
The Steelers are 6-5-1 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 0.9 units so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 7-5.
The Raiders have been a disappointment to moneyline bettors this season, losing 7.5 units. They’re 4-8 ATS and have an even O/U record of 6-6.
The Steelers have gone 7-4-1 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Raiders are 2-10 SU.
Each team enters the matchup having lost two straight. The Steelers are most-recently on the rebound after a narrow 33-30 defeat to the Chargers in Week 13 where Ben Roethlisberger completed 29-of-45 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. James Conner (60 rushing yards on 15 attempts, two TDs) provided the ground attack while Antonio Brown (10 receptions, 154 yards, one TD) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (six catches, 49 yards) manned the receiving duties in the defeat.
Oakland just lost a 40-33 barnburner to Kansas City in Week 13. The defensive unit allowed the Chiefs to eat up the clock by running for 174 yards on 30 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Travis Kelce was outstanding, putting up 168 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches for the Chiefs. For Oakland, Derek Carr completed 29-of-38 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Doug Martin (61 yards on 18 rush attempts, one TD) and Jalen Richard (95 yards on six carries) mounted the running game as Jordy Nelson (10 receptions, 97 yards) and Jared Cook (seven catches, 100 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack in the loss.
Pittsburgh has run the ball on 33.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Oakland has a rush percentage of 40.3 percent. The Steelers have produced 93.1 rush yards per game and have 15 scores on the ground this year. The Raiders are averaging 105.3 rushing yards per game and have six total rush TDs.
It seems like the Steelers ought to be the more disruptive team in the trenches. Their offensive line has given up only 24 sacks while the D-line registered 56 sacks. The Raiders, on the other hand, have given up 24 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing QBs just 31 times.
The Steelers offensive scheme has tallied 330.5 yards per game in the air overall and has 27 passing scores so far. The Raiders have recorded 260.0 pass yards per outing and have 16 total pass TDs.
Pittsburgh has allowed opponents to run for an average of 100.4 yards and pass for 251.8 yards per game. The Oakland D has allowed 248.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 153.3 yards per game on the ground. The Steelers are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 6.20 to opposing QBs, while the Raiders have allowed an ugly 8.72 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Roethlisberger has already amassed 3,483 yards on the year, and has connected on 300-of-461 attempts with 25 passing scores and 11 interceptions. He’s got a 7.11 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 6.21 over the last two games.
On the other sideline, Derek Carr has connected on 276-of-388 passes for 2,918 yards, 15 TDs and eight INTs. Carr’s ANY/A stands at 6.28 for the season and 6.83 across his past two outings.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders Free Prediction
SU Winner: Steelers, ATS Winner: Raiders, O/U: Over
Betting Trends
- Pittsburgh has averaged 3.8 yards per carry across its last three outings and 4.2 over its last two.
- Oakland has averaged 4.9 yards per carry over its last three games and 5.1 over its past two.
- The Oakland offense has lost nine fumbles this season while Pittsburgh has let seven get away.
- Oakland has dropped eight of its last nine games SU, with a two-point win over Arizona on November 18th representing its only victory over that stretch.
- The Steelers offense has registered 12 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Raiders have put up five such plays.
- The Pittsburgh defense has allowed five pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Oakland has given up 12 such plays.
- The Pittsburgh offense has created nine rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Oakland has created six such runs.
- The Steelers defense has allowed eight rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Raiders have given up 10 such runs.
- The Pittsburgh defensive unit has sacked opposing quarterbacks 41 times this year. Oakland has produced just 10 sacks.
