How will the Raiders win?
Given the strength of the Bills is their defense and running game, this will likely be a low-scoring game between two offenses that like to control the clock. Both teams finished in the top half of the league in average time of possession so it will be a tight game where mistakes will be punished thanks to the Bills tough defense.
The difference in this game will come down to who can take care of the ball and not kill themselves with forced or unforced turnovers. Buffalo’s defense was 10th in the NFL with 23 takeaways while the Raiders were 31st with just 15 but the Bills were more susceptible to giving up the ball.
Josh Allen was a primary culprit as he threw 9 interceptions and put the ball on the ground 14 times.
Ten of those fumbles were recovered by the Bills but his tendency to try and extend plays and be a bit reckless can be a positive for the Raiders if they take advantage by forcing him to turn the ball over. The Bills were one of the most penalized teams in the league and against another opponent this may be a weakness for them, but the Raiders were one of six teams who committed more penalties than Buffalo in 2019.
The hope is that with added talent on defense in guys like Cory Littleton and Maliek Collins, as well as the Raiders bringing back the entire offensive line, penalties will be cut down in 2020. Derek Carr has the weapons he needs to put up points, but if the team continues to shoot itself in the foot, especially on big plays, there is going to be an issue in this matchup.
Simply put, this will be a tough test for the Raiders against one of their oldest rivals from way back in the AFL days. The Bills are an up and coming team with a talented and opportunistic defense that can more than make up for their inconsistencies on offense. They are well-coached but can fall into the same penalty traps as the Raiders that stall drives or extend them for the opposition.
This is a matchup that the oddsmakers expect the Bills to win but could be a trap game for them as it comes just before games against the AFC’s top two teams from 2019, the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders will need to be at their best to ensure a conference win that may have a big impact on the AFC playoff race.