Redskins are the NFL Betting Underdogs in Week 3 vs. the Raiders

The NFL Betting favorites Oakland Raiders head east to take on the Washington Redskins on Sunday Night. Both teams come in riding a winning streak, as Oakland polished off the New York Jets last Sunday, 45-20, to take a 2-0 start on the season. Washington overcame an opening week loss to Philadelphia by knocking off the Los Angeles Rams, 27-20, out in California last week. These two teams meet for the 13th time, with Oakland having won seven of the first 12 but Washington having won the last two. We are talking about two explosive offenses, that’s why the Over/Under is set at 54.5, check out our predictions before you finalize your NFL Betting on this interconference matchup.

Oakland at Washington Game Info & Preview for Week 3

With 3-0 a possibility, the coordinators are emphasizing preparation ahead of Washington.

Quick Hits: https://t.co/wHBi70u44d pic.twitter.com/YLPtXGPuB2 — OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) 22 de septiembre de 2017

When: Sunday, September 24, 2017, 8:30pm ET Where: FedExField, Landover, MD TV: NBC Radio: 95.7 FM (Oakland) / 980 AM (Washington) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Betting Odds: Oakland -3, O/U 54.5

Weather Forecast

• Clear: 22°C/72°F
• Humidity: 75%
• Precipitation: 2%
• Wind: 1 mph NNW
• Cloud Cover: 1%
• Type of Stadium: Open

Houston at New England NFL Odds & Expert Betting Analysis

Series History

• Total Meetings: 13
• First Meeting: Raiders 34 – Redskins 20 (10/19/1970)
• Last Meeting: Raiders 14 – Redskins 24 (09/29/2013)
• All-Time Series: Raiders lead 8-5-0
• Largest Margin of Victory: Raiders by 29 points
• Longest Win Streak: Raiders W3
• Current Win Streak: Redskins W2

Why should you put your money on the Redskins? Against the Rams, Chris Thompson was the big hero for the Redskins. He carried the ball just six times, but he picked up 81 yards on those attempts. He also caught seven passes for 81 more yards, and he had a pair of touchdowns. Kirk Cousins has 419 combined passing yards on the young season, with a pair of touchdowns. The ability to rely on a solid running game will ultimately help Cousins out, because he won’t be facing a defense that pins its ears back and focuses on the pass rush. That sort of offense allows them to chew up the clock — they won the time of possession battle by almost 13 minutes against the Rams. The Redskins’ defense can be a little porous, though. Their pass rush is inconsistent, and that win over the Rams was more about the mistakes that Los Angeles made on offense as opposed to big defensive plays that the Redskins turned in. Their secondary struggles to cover down the field, and if Derek Carr has plenty of time to sit in the pocket, he should be able to find plenty of open targets down the field. If you like Washington, despite the NFL Betting Lines, then you think that their offense can grind out enough drives to keep Carr and Company off the field.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 22
• Total Yards: 324.5
• Rush Yards: 146.5
• Passing Yards: 178

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 25
• Total Yards: 344
• Rush Yards: 75
• Passing Yards: 269

Why should you bet on the Raiders? Oakland has one of the more explosive offenses in the National Football League. They put forth a workmanlike performance in their road win over Tennessee in the opener, and then they shifted into a higher gear against the Jets, turning a 14-10 second quarter lead into that 45-20 whipping. Oakland gained 410 yards against the Jets and picked up 21 first downs while keeping that offense free of turnovers. In two games, Derek Carr has a 75% completion rate and 492 yards with five touchdowns — and not a single pick. With Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper and Jared Cook running routes down the field and Marshawn Lynch leading a trio of tailbacks, Oakland has a stacked offense. The Oakland defense has played solidly as well thus far. They had a pair of takeaways against the Jets, and they controlled a Tennessee offense that went down to Jacksonville in Week Two and scored at will against the Jaguars. If the Raiders can maintain a solid pass rush, they should be able to keep Kirk Cousins on the run so that he can’t pick apart their secondary.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 35.5
• Total Yards: 384.5
• Rush Yards: 144.5
• Passing Yards: 240

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 18
• Total Yards: 310.5
• Rush Yards: 110.5
• Passing Yards: 200

Latest NFL Betting Trends for Week 3

• Washington is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
• Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against the Raiders
• The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington’s last 11 games at FedEx Field
• Oakland is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games as visitor
• Oakland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Raiders last 5 games on the road

Expert NFL Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction 

I was impressed by Washington’s win in Los Angeles, particularly by the play of Chris Thompson. I do think that they will be able to lead some sustained drives and will likely win the time of possession battle, simply because of the differences in the two teams’ offensive philosophies — in Oakland, the run is more of a complement to the pass, while the Redskins look to be pursuing more balance.  However, I don’t see them stopping Oakland’s dynamic offense enough times to pull out a win. I predict a final score of Oakland 27 – Washington 20.