Las Vegas Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers: Early Week 3 odds and prediction

Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season was a disaster for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they were trounced on the road by the Buffalo Bills. All of the good feelings from their Week 1 victory over Denver were thrown out the window, but after everything, the Raiders are still tied for first place in the AFC West.

In Week 3, the Raiders will have their home opener in primetime, as they welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to Allegiant Stadium on a short week. The Steelers took care of business against division rival Cleveland on Monday night, moving to 1-1, and erasing the memory of a horrible Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Here, we look at the early odds and try and throw out a prediction for this AFC battle.

Raiders vs Steelers odds for 2023 NFL Week 3

According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Raiders are favorites for the first time this season, as they are giving 2.5 points to the Steelers on Sunday night. Giving the 2.5 points will come in at -110, while taking the 2.5 points, in other words, taking the Steelers straight up, the odds will be -110 as well.

The over/under for the contest is set at 43.0 points currently, and both have -110 odds, which means if you place $100 on either, you will win 90.91. Betting the Raiders on the moneyline will come in at -132, which means a $100 bet will win $75.76, while a $100 bet on the Steelers straight up will come in at +112, or $100 wins you $112.00.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Raiders vs Steelers prediction for 2023 NFL Week 3

For as good as the Raiders looked at times in Week 1 against Denver, they looked double as bad against Buffalo this past weekend, and need to put that game behind them. The Bills came into that game fired up after an overtime loss to the New York Jets in Week 1, and after an early Raiders score, it was all Buffalo.

Week 3 presents its own host of issues, but the Steelers are without Cameron Heyward, so the Raiders should be able to get the run game going. The Steelers also could be without Minkah Fitzpatrick, who suffered a chest injury in the team's win against Cleveland in Week 2, and had to be taken to the hospital.

The Raiders have more than enough talent to win this game at home in primetime, though a loss would turn all of the attention towards another down season. With what should be a rocking Allegiant Stadium crowd behind them, I believe the Raiders do enough to take a fourth-quarter lead, and once again, Jimmy Garoppolo secures the victory.

Final Score: Raiders 27, Steelers 24