by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Aug 19, 2021
Game time: 10 p.m. ET; Aug. 21, 2021
Venue: SoFI Stadium
Where to watch: NFL Network
Preseason to date - NFL Preseason Week 2
Raiders: 1-0 (last game, won 20-7 vs. Seattle)
Rams: 0-1 (last game, lost 13-6 vs. L.A. Chargers)
Last week’s stats leaders
Raiders:
Passing: Nathan Peterman -- 29-for-39, 246 yards, 1 interception
Rushing: Trey Ragas -- 13 carries, 62 yards, 1 touchdown
Receiving: Zay Jones -- 3 catches, 57 yards
Defense: Nate Hobbs -- 1 sack
Rams:
Passing: Devlin Hodges -- 11-for-19, 85 yards, 1 interception
Rushing: Bryce Perkins -- 4 carries, 23 yards
Receiving: Jacob Harris -- 4 catches, 43 yards
Defense: Eric Banks, Jonah Williams -- 1 sack
Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Raiders -6.5, Rams +6.5
BetMGM: Raiders -7, Rams +7
FanDuel: Raiders -7, Rams +7
Larry Ness went 3-1-1 last week in the first set of NFL Preseason games. Keep an eye on our Shop Picks page to see what Larry and our other champion handicappers will do this week. Don’t miss that big winner, or any of their premium picks.
Rams - Raiders preview
The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams will continue their preseason slate on Saturday when they meet at SoFI Stadium.
It’s the second preseason game for both clubs. The Raiders are coming off a 20-7 victory, their first home game ever with fans inside Allegiant Stadium, against the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday. Third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman played the entire matchup and threw for 246 yards and an interception.
Good news for the Raiders is that it might be the last sign of a full Peterman slate. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota returned to practice this week and could make his preseason debut on Saturday. The former No. 2 overall pick threw for 226 yards and a touchdown during the 2020 regular season.
The starters on offense may not show up until next week (or even Week 1), so don’t expect a heavy work load of Derek Carr, Henry Ruggs or Darren Waller.
The Rams will look to bounce back from their “sloppy” effort in Week 1, in the words of head coach Sean McVay. Los Angeles put only six points on the board, losing by a touchdown to SoFI Stadium neighbors, the Los Angeles Chargers, in the contest on Saturday.
Whether or not that means a turn to Matthew Stafford at starting quarterback for a potential warmup remains to be seen. That doesn’t seem likely after Rams receiver Ben Skowronek suffered a fractured forearm last week. As we’ve mentioned before, the season is not defined in August. But at least we know the info presented to us in these preseason games shows us who’s ready for the backup spotlight.
Betting trends
The Raiders have not done well as a lengthy favorite in recent history. Las Vegas is 6-11 when the spread is from -3.5 to -9.5, and 2-6 when a favorite on the road. The moneyline is at -110.
The Rams have not done any better as an underdog in recent memory, going 11-18 in their last 29 instances. Coming off a loss at home, the Rams are a lousy 6-16 in the next game. Just for tune-up purposes, the NFC West powerhouse should try to reverse this trend.
Prediction
Don’t be surprised if the depth on both sides is shown once again. In that instance, that should normally favor the home team. We’ll be interested to see Mariota if he gets an extended run. Rams win 20-13.
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
