Raiders vs Saints Week 8 Picks and Predictions: Las Vegas' Offense Centers Around Jacobs

The Vegas Raiders are fresh off their second victory in three weeks and now travel to face the reeling New Orleans Saints. After losing their first four games, the Raiders have won two of their last three.

Part of the reason for their success has been running back Josh Jacobs, and look for him to have another strong game. The Saints have lost five of six and are decimated by injuries, especially in the secondary, where two cornerbacks are out and two more are questionable.

Find out where the betting edge lies in our free NFL picks and predictions for Raiders vs. Saints on October 30.

Raiders vs Saints best odds

Raiders vs Saints picks and predictions

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is one of the hottest players in the NFL right now. The 24-year-old former Alabama player had a rough first three games, failing to rush 70+ yards on the ground in a single outing. He was averaging 4.6 yards a carry and had no touchdowns.

The Raiders subsequently lost all three of those games. In the last three games, however, Jacobs has rushing performances of 144, 154, and 143 yards. He averaged 6.4 yards a carry in those games and had six touchdowns. Those three games are the highest single-game rushing totals of his career.

On Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, Jacobs has a chance to make history. If Jacobs can gain more than 140 yards, he will join four players to accomplish that feat in four consecutive games. The others are Terrell Davis (1998), Priest Holmes (2002), Larry Johnson (2005), and LaDainian Tomlinson (2006).

Jacobs already has the Raiders franchise record for three straight rushing games of 140 or more yards. He has also become the focal point of the Las Vegas offense. In carrying the ball 69 times for 440 yards in his last three games, Jacobs has 82 of the 93 touches by Raiders running backs. It is definitely a change in philosophy for head coach Josh McDaniels, who was previously used to operating with numerous RBs at once in New England.

The Saints' defense will definitely be focused on stopping Jacobs. They are, however, 21st in the league in run defense, allowing an average of 123.1 yards per game. Jacobs has scored six touchdowns in his last three games, including three against the Houston Texans last weekend.

Jacobs can also catch the ball out of the backfield, and quarterback Derek Carr might find him when the Raiders get in the red zone. Expect at least another early touchdown from Jacobs, either on the ground or possibly through the air.

My best bet: Josh Jacobs first half touchdown (+165 at bet365)

Raiders vs Saints spread analysis

The Raiders and Saints have near-identical records, but it seems they are going in different directions. The Raiders have won two of their last three games after losing their first four. The Saints have lost five of their last six, and a big reason has been injuries that have plagued the team.

The secondary has been the most affected. Two starting cornerbacks, Paulson Adebo and Marshon Lattimore are questionable for Sunday’s game. Bradley Roby, who backs up Adebo, is on the injured reserve list. His backup, P.J. Williams, is also on IR. New Orleans’ pass defense is 16th in the league, allowing an average of 217.3 yards per game.

The Raiders are 12th in passing, so expect quarterback Carr and Co. to take advantage of the injury-riddled New Orleans' secondary. Of course, Jacobs will play a major factor in the backfield as well with how efficient he's been in the backfield. 

The Saints are going to try and keep up with Las Vegas, but they have injury concerns on the offensive side of the ball as well. Wide receiver Michael Thomas is questionable for Sunday, as is fellow receiver Jarvis Landry. Tight end Adam Trautman is also nursing an ankle injury and might see limited action.

The spread for the game is Raiders -1.5. Look for Las Vegas to win by at least a field goal.

Raiders vs Saints Over/Under analysis

The total for this game opened at 46.5 but quickly went up to 49.5. Both teams are in the Top 10 in points. The Raiders are third, averaging 27.2 a game. Meanwhile, the Saints are seventh, averaging 25.0 a game.

Defensively, both teams are in the lower tier of points allowed. The Raiders are 26th in points allowed (25.0), while the Saints are even worse at next to last (28.6). 

With all the injuries to the Saints on both sides of the ball, their numbers might be affected. With New Orleans having serious issues in the secondary, the Raiders might pass for more than their average of 238.7 yards.

If both Thomas and Landry are still sidelined due to injury, that is going to affect what Andy Dalton can do. Dalton will be starting regardless of the status of Jameis Winston, who is questionable with a back injury.

The Raiders have hit the Over in their last four games and are 5-0 on the Over for their last five games in October. Las Vegas has scored 38, 29, and 32 points in its last three games. The Saints have also hit the Over in their last four games and are 10-1 on the Over in their last 11 October games.

They have scored 34, 26, and 39 points in their last three games. This game should go Over the total of 49.5.

Raiders vs Saints betting trend to know

Over is 12-4 in the Raiders' last 16 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Find more NFL betting trends for Raiders vs. Saints.

Raiders vs Saints game info

Raiders vs Saints latest injuries

Raiders vs Saints weather

Monitor gametime conditions with our live NFL weather info and learn how weather impacts NFL betting.

Pages related to this topic