The Las Vegas Raiders open the Pete Carroll era with a tough Week 1 road matchup against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, September 7.
New England also has a new head coach, Mike Vrabel, calling the shots, and my early Raiders vs. Patriots predictions call for the Pats to cover the number in a low-scoring game.
Find out more in my NFL picks below!
Raiders vs Patriots predictions
Here are our early thoughts on the spread and total for this week’s game. We will have a full game preview (with a best bet and SGP) later in the week.
Early Raiders vs Patriots spread pick: Patriots -2.5 (-118)
While there’s ample cause for optimism for the Las Vegas Raiders heading into the 2025 season, I’m not anticipating a Week 1 road win over the New England Patriots.
New England head coach Mike Vrabel consistently had his teams outperform the sum of their parts during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans, and I’m a believer in quarterback Drake Maye taking a step forward with an improved supporting cast.
Additionally, Vegas will likely need time to piece it all together on offense.
The Raiders brought in veteran QB Geno Smith through free agency and added electric running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft, so offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has puzzle pieces.
I’m just anticipating it taking time for them to all fit together. Of course, the New England defense is also a tough opening test.
Vrabel has an excellent collection of veterans and up-and-coming talents at his disposal, and it’s impossible to imagine the Pats' pass rush struggling as badly as it did last season with him at the helm.
Landing the Patriots Under the key number of 3.0 is a bonus, too.
Early Raiders vs Patriots total pick: Under 43.5 (-115)
Even with the optimism for the New England Patriots taking a step forward on offense this year, this is likely to be another work-in-progress attack in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' second return to the franchise.
Drake Maye doesn’t have a who’s who of star talent around him, and I’m anticipating New England leaning on the run and trying to shorten games with clock-churning drives.
Additionally, as noted, I do expect the New England defense to have a strong Week 1 showing.
The Las Vegas Raiders just don't have the weapons to stretch the field, and Vrabel and the Pats will have the luxury to key in on Raiders rusher Ashton Jeanty.
I also envision many red zone trips turning into field-goal attempts. The Raiders and Patriots, respectively, ranked 27th and 30th in converting red-zone trips into touchdowns and 29th and 30th in points per game last year, after all.
Raiders vs Patriots odds
- Raiders vs. Patriots spread: Patriots -2.5
- Raiders vs. Patriots moneyline: Raiders +124, Patriots -146
- Raiders vs. Patriots Over/Under: 43.5
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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