Handicapper Doug Fitz, 24-16 ATS in the Review-Journal NFL Challenge, breaks down every game of Week 9 of the NFL season, with analysis, trends and final scores.
NFL
The rushing attack had its most productive game of the season in Cleveland and will look to keep the momentum going against the Chargers.
Mark Franco leads the contest with a 26-13-1 ATS record. Doug Fitz (24-16) and Dave Tuley (23-15-2) are tied for second place, and Lou Finocchiaro (23-16-1) is fourth.
The 29-year-old Denzelle Good entered the year as a backup, but has played every offensive snap since the second game of the season.
Slowing down Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert is a big challenge, but that isn’t the only key matchup facing the Raiders this week.
In a year when the NFL has added an extra wild-card spot, Las Vegas should compete for a playoff berth.
Justin Herbert, who played at Oregon for UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo, is among the most productive rookie quarterbacks in NFL history.
Scoring is up across the league, with the current 25.2 points per game average on pace to shatter the 2018 record of 23.3.
The Raiders were hit with a $500,000 fine and had a sixth-round draft pick taken away for repeated violations of the league’s coronavirus protocols.
The South Point reported Friday that there was a lot of sharp action on Las Vegas, which was a consensus pick’em Friday at the valley’s sportsbooks.
Raiders fans still have questions about Paul Guenther’s defense, but also the status of a handful of key players.
The NFL reportedly fined the Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden a total of $650,000 while stripping them of a draft pick for repeated COVID-19 violations.
Offensive tackle Kolton Miller hasn’t missed a game in his Raiders career, and despite dealing with an ankle injury, he hasn’t been ruled out of Sunday’s game at the Chargers.
The Chargers had won and covered four straight in the series before a Raiders sweep last season. The over is 5-1-1 in Raiders games this season.
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