SuperBook Sports previews tonight’s showdown

NFL: Las Vegas Raiders at Detroit Lions

Talk about two teams bummed they have to wait until Monday night to play again! Both the Lions and Raiders are coming off beatdowns, itching to get back on the field.

Last week, early season NFL darling Detroit came crashing back down to Earth, getting smacked by the Ravens 38-6. And Las Vegas somehow made the Bears look like a good football team, getting mopped 30-12.

But a new week means new hope, and both squads have plenty of the line. The Lions need to bounce back and prove they’re still a Super Bowl contender in an NFC where everyone is chasing the Eagles. For the Raiders, getting back to .500 would be massive. Entering Week 8, there were seven AFC teams with a winning record. That’s how many make the playoffs. Las Vegas needs to pull the upset to stay in this thing.

Do they have a shot? Let’s find out…

Lions -7.5 (-110)

What to like about this line…

• Detroit is eager to prove the letdown in Baltimore was a fluke. The Lions are still 5-2 and have wins by 14 points, 14 points, 18 points and 14 points on their resume. When they emerge victorious this season, it’s generally in blowout fashion. And their last two home games have been convincing wins over mediocre teams, something the Raiders are, as well. They handled the Falcons 20-6 with a great defensive day and ran the Panthers out of the building 42-24 in a shootout. They can win either type of a game and cover a spread that’s barely more than a touchdown like this one. 

• Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and this entire Lions offense has been remarkably consistent this season. Goff was sixth in the NFL in yards thrown entering the weekend with 1,908, trailing only Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Allen. That’s good company to be in. His 11 passing TDs were also tied for sixth in the league. St. Brown was eighth in receiving yards with 557 and has already topped 100 yards in four of the six games he’s played in. And while running back David Montgomery won’t be able to go, this rushing attack will be fine with another big night carrying the rock for Jahmyr Gibbs.

• In their last three road games, the Raiders have given up 38 points, 24 points and 30 points. Detroit should have no problem scoring, and therefore potentially covering a big number by NFL standards.

What not to like about this line…

• Jimmy Garoppolo returning for the Raiders at QB is huge. Head coach Josh McDaniels confirmed on Saturday that the veteran will be back under center after recovering from a back injury. The Raiders offense never had a chance with Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell at quarterback in Chicago, and Jimmy G changes that. He hasn’t put up flashy stats, but two of the four Las Vegas losses have come with him on the sidelines. He also missed Week 4 against the Chargers with a concussion. In fact, in games he’s started this year, Las Vegas is 4-1 covering the spread and 3-2 outright. If he can play the whole game, he could keep the Raiders competitive and within striking distance until the final buzzer. 

• It’s just one game, but it’s hard not wonder if the shine has come off the Lions a little bit. A 38-6 shellacking can shake the confidence of any team, let alone one with a long history of losing. Are some of those doubts are starting to creep into the heads of the Detroit players and faithful fans after what the Ravens did? The Lions never had a chance. They were down 28-0 at halftime and 35-0 after three quarters. It was complete and total undressing. The defense generated zero sacks and the offense gave up five of them. Lamar Jackson threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns. There were some things that were exposed, and you better believe the Raiders took notice.

Over / Under 46.5 (-110)

What to like about the over…

• The fast turf of Field Ford has hosted three games this year, and the over has been shattered in two of them. The Lions and Seahawks put up a whopping 68 points in Week 2. Detroit and Carolina combined for 66 points earlier this month. And the Lions defense showed last week they’re more than capable of giving up a number in the 30s. Consider all of that, along with the fact that Detroit’s 174 total points was seventh in the NFL before Week 8, plus the Raiders 161 points allowed was 23rd and the Lions 151 points was 20th, and this could be a barnburner. Finally, Las Vegas still has Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs. They might not be having monster years, but they’re still stars. If they get going, this over covers. 

What to like about the under…

• In six of the seven games Las Vegas has played this year, they’ve gone under this number. Maxx Crosby is a beast on the defensive side of the ball, and their games tend to be slower with fewer possessions. They’ve had totals of 33, 41, 41, 30, 38 and 42. Their one game that went over was at Buffalo, and that only hit 48. The Raiders haven’t played a single contest this season where the total has cracked 50. That’s stunning! And on the Detroit side of things, they’ve gone under 46 points in four of their seven games, posting combined totals of 41, 26, 26 and 44. For two good offenses, bettors are going to be tempted to slam the over, but the evidence actually points to the under being the smarter play. 

Preferred Prop: Davante Adams anytime TD +130

If there’s a hole in the Lions, it might be their pass defense. They’re excellent against the run, which doesn’t bode well for Josh Jacobs, but the Raiders will find at least some way to score. And when you have an elite wideout like Adams on your team, that’s who gets the ball. Take Adams to find paydirt along with a nice plus-money payout.

Steve Quinne’s Pick: Detroit -7.5 (-110)

Dan Campbell is one of the most fun head coaches in the NFL, and he’s not going to let what happened in Baltimore define this team’s season. A master motivator, Campbell will have the Lions ready to go and then some. They’re not going to be looking to just beat Las Vegas, they want to take back their pride and make a statement to the rest of the league that Detroit is still very much in the Super Bowl conversation. Even without Jimmy G last week, the Raiders showed who they truly are in embarrassing loss to the hapless Bears. This game will get ugly early and never look back. The Lions announce they’re still for real in a 35-10 dusting.