Las Vegas Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints prediction? This final score may surprise you
Raiders-Saints at a glance
Kickoff: 5:15 p.m. PDT Monday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Fresno TV/radio: ESPN/KFIG & KFPT (940 AM & 790 AM)
Records: Raiders 1-0; Saints 1-0
Line: Saints by -5.5
The matchup
The Raiders went into Charlotte, North Carolina in Week 1 and came away with a 34-30 victory. Though it was a good season-opening win on the East Coast, the 30 points given up by the defense left a sour taste in their mouths.
“I always preach to them that scoring defense is important,” Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “So, we have to keep them out of the end zone; and if they’re going to score, they have to go through our goal-line defense.”
Guenther had success against the Saints in 2014 when he was the coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals won 27-10 at the Superdome.
“We had a lot of different guys in that game,” Guenther said. “We went back and actually looked at it. Very similar system. They’ve been together for a long time – the coaching staff, the quarterback, a lot of the skill guys, the offensive lineman – they’ve been together. The system has been very similar. They’re good at what they do.”
The bright spot for the Raiders a week ago was their offense, led by running back Josh Jacobs who finished with three touchdowns and 139 total yards. He had four receptions for 46 yards, further flashing a facet of his game at which he wants to keep getting better.
“It definitely was fun,” he said. “A lot of times when I play receiver, I get a lot more chances to be in open space, so that’s always fun.”
Denzelle Good, who typically plays guard, moved over to tackle after injuries to Trent Brown and Sam Young. He played well for the Raiders in their absence.
“We feel very confident in Denzelle Good and what he can do and what he can bring to the team,” Jacobs said. “We know he’s going against a great pass rusher, probably top-two in the league just with his physicality and the way that he works in Cam Jordan. So, we’re going to try to help him as much as we can.”
The Saints come into the game off a 34-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees again leads the way for his offense, which will be without star wide receiver Michael Thomas (ankle).
Still, New Orleans has plenty of weapons, even without Thomas, in running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Jared Cook and veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
Cook, who played for the Raiders in 2017 and 2018, led the Saints with 80 receiving yards in the win over Tampa Bay. Another former Raider, Latavius Murray, had 15 carries for 48 yards.
An additional dangerous weapon looms in Tayson Hill, who can play quarterback and tight end.
“It’s a sophisticated problem because of all the things he can do,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Hill. “My lifetime, I don’t remember a quarterback that can throw and run read-options and line up at tight end. This guy is a weapon. He’s a special teams demon. He can be the personal protector on the punt team.
“He’s a great football player. This guy is a football player. You’ve got to be aware of No. 7.”
The defense is led by Jordan at defensive end. The Saints had three sacks and two interceptions against the Buccaneers.
Dennis Allen, the Saints’ defensive coordinator, was on the Raiders staff from 2012 to 2014.
Injury report
Raiders tackles Trent Brown (calf) and Sam Young (groin), and LB Nick Kwiatkoski (pec) are listed as doubtful. WR Henry Ruggs III (knee) and G John Simpson (shoulder) are questionable.
Saints will be without WR Michael Thomas (ankle), DE Marcus Davenport (elbow) and Chase Hansen (hip).
Prediction
It is a new beginning for the Raiders as they play their first game at Allegiant Stadium. While no fans will be allowed inside, the new fan base will be watching closely around Las Vegas, as will their national following across the country.
Since 2010, teams playing their first home game in a new stadium have gone 4-3.
The Raiders will obviously be excited to play in a prime-time game on Monday night, but know they face a tough challenge in the Saints.
Despite that, the defense should play much better than it did in the season-opening win. If the offense can come close to the success it had against Carolina, then a 2-0 record seems possible.
Prediction: Raiders 26, Saints 23
