Early look at the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 schedule against the spread
By Evan Groat
Week 14: Colts @ Raiders (PK)
Week 14 is the beginning of what could be a very important stretch of games, which includes three straight home games in weeks 14, 15, and 16. The Raiders start the stretch by facing a familiar foe in a new uniform, as they welcome Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts to town.
If the Raiders are in the mix down the stretch, they need to take advantage of their home field and win these games. It will be strange to see Rivers sporting a Colts uniform, but based on what we saw from him last year, this is a game the Raiders should win.
Week 15: Chargers @ Raiders (-2.5)
By this time of the year, the Justin Herbert era could be underway for the Chargers. That means that the Raiders have to win this game, as the defense should be playing at a high level, and forcing the kid into making mistakes.
The Raiders will need to take advantage of the young quarterback and make life difficult for him in a divisional road game inside a rowdy Allegiant Stadium. Last season, the Raiders swept the series against the Chargers, and I think it’s likely it happens again in 2020.
Week 16: Dolphins @ Raiders (-4.5)
I don’t care how many improvements were made to the Dolphins roster, this is a game the Raiders must win at home. In the final game at Allegiant in 2020, the Raiders try to inch closer to the playoffs, beating a Dolphins team that is probably a year away from being a real threat to the rest of the conference.
Whether it’s Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tua Tagovailoa, it shouldn’t matter, as the Raiders will be in the playoff mix, and the Dolphins will be closing out another losing season. The Dolphins are still a major work in progress, and they did upset New England late last season, but give the Raiders the win here.
Week 17: Raiders @ Broncos (-4)
As is the case most seasons, the Raiders will face their most-hated division rival, the Denver Broncos in the regular season finale. Elements will play a huge role in this one, and it will be interesting to see if the Drew Lock experiment in Year 2 was worth all the weapons the Broncos brought in.
Not to beat a dead horse, but again the weather could be an issue playing at Mile High in January. Both the Raiders and Broncos look to be much improved on paper. It’s possible the two teams are battling for a wildcard spot in this one.