4 reasons the Las Vegas Raiders will beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 2

The Raiders roll into Week 2 with a 1-0 record, but they will be heavy underdogs on a Monday Night Football matchup against the Saints.

The Las Vegas Raiders had a lot of ups and downs in Week 1, as the offense was firing on all cylinders, while the defense struggled throughout the game. They will need to iron out any kinks in the armor heading into Week 2, as the New Orleans Saints are as solid a team as there is in the NFL.

Although the Saints are projected to defeat the Raiders by just about everyone, there are some things about this match up that could favor the Raiders. Playing in Primetime, there is going to be a lot of hype heading into this game, and the Silver and Black just may be able to pull of the victory.

Let’s take a look at four reasons that the Raiders will defeat the Saints in Week 2.

No Michael Thomas

There is no question that if Michael Thomas was on the field on Monday Night, he would tear the Raiders secondary apart. Although Travyon Mullen and Johnathan Abram played well against Carolina, the same cannot be said for Damon Arnette and Erik Harris.

The Raiders struggled defending the Panthers wide receivers, especially Robby Anderson, who has a similar build to Michael Thomas. Thomas is one of the best receivers in the game, and without him, Drew Brees will have to send the ball elsewhere.

The Raiders will still be considerable underdogs on Monday, but the absence of Michael Thomas increases their chances of winning tremendously.