How to watch Raiders-Patriots game, betting odds

The mentor meets the protégé when legendary coach Bill Belichick brings his struggling Patriots (1-4) to challenge his longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, now head coach of the Raiders (2-3), for the second consecutive season. Last year’s game featured one of the wildest finishes of 2022, so there is plenty of drama expected despite the early-season results for both teams.

Game information

■ Who: Patriots at Raiders

■ When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday

■ Where: Allegiant Stadium

■ TV: KLAS-8 (Jim Nantz, play-by-play; Tony Romo, analyst)

■ Radio: KRLV-AM (920), KOMP-FM (92.3) (Jason Horowitz, play-by-play; Lincoln Kennedy, analyst)

■ Line: Raiders -3; total 41

Series history

The Patriots have won seven of the past nine meetings to take a 20-16-1 edge in a storied rivalry that includes three postseason clashes, one of which is known in football lore simply as the “Tuck Rule” game.

Last meeting

Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers inexplicably tried a desperation lateral as time ticked down in a tie game, and Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones snatched the ball out of the air and ran it back 48 yards for a walkoff 30-24 victory. Keelan Cole had tied the game with a 30-yard touchdown reception for the Raiders with 32 seconds left, setting up Jones’ heroics. Meyers signed with the Raiders in the offseason.

Bold predictions

1. Josh Jacobs will eclipse 100 yards on the ground for the first time this season. He will also score a rushing touchdown for the third straight game.

2. There will be a defensive or special teams touchdown scored. But the way this series has played out, this might not be so bold.

3. The Raiders will win a fourth consecutive opening coin toss, a somewhat remarkable feat after the team had dropped 15 of the previous 19.

Matchups to watch

1. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby vs. Patriots right tackle. New England’s offensive struggles can be blamed on a variety of factors, but perhaps the most glaring is the right tackle position. Calvin Anderson was demoted in favor of Vederian Lowe, who has been among the worst performers in the league at the position. The Patriots have promised a mass reset with no options off the table, so it’s possible they turn to Michael Onwenu or another option. Whoever gets the nod needs to find a way to block Crosby.

2. Raiders pass defense vs. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. The defense is flying high after forcing multiple turnovers for the first time since the middle of last season and intercepting three passes last week for the first time since early in the 2021 season. Jones is struggling as much as any quarterback in the league, and it will be key to not let him find a rhythm early.

3. Raiders coach Josh McDaniels vs. Patriots coach Bill Belichick. McDaniels spent nearly 20 years working on Belichick’s staff in a variety of roles, including two long stints as offensive coordinator. They know each other well, which could lead to a great deal of second-guessing by each of them in trying to design a game plan to defeat the other.

When the Patriots have the ball

This offense hasn’t been pretty to watch. The return of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator after trying to piece together a plan last season was supposed to breathe life into the unit and rejuvenate young quarterback Mac Jones. Instead, injuries have taken a toll on the offensive line, and the inability to generate any sort of running game has made the offense one-dimensional, and that dimension isn’t working. The Patriots have a total of three points in the past two weeks.

When the Raiders have the ball

There was finally a bit of room for Josh Jacobs to operate last week, and the result was a season-high 69 rushing yards. Perhaps just as important, he had his first run of more than 10 yards all season when he got to the second level of the defense for 24 yards. Star receiver Davante Adams continues to deal with a shoulder injury, which has opened the door for the emergence of a complementary receiver in Jakobi Meyers. Look for rookie tight end Michael Mayer to continue getting more involved after he was targeted early last week.

Injury report

Patriots: OUT: DB Cody Davis (knee), WR Demario Douglas (concussion), LB Matthew Judon (elbow), OL Riley Reiff (knee), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion), G Cole Strange (knee), OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (knee). QUESTIONABLE: DL Christian Barmore (knee), OT Trent Brown (chest), S Kyle Dugger (foot), DL Trey Flowers (foot), DL Davon Godchaux (ankle), CB Jonathan Jones (ankle), OL Mike Onwenu (ankle), WR Tyquan Thornton (shoulder), LB Josh Uche (knee), CB Shaun Wade (shoulder).

Raiders: OUT: OT Justin Herron (concussion), CB Nate Hobbs (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: CB Jakorian Bennett (shoulder). LIMITED: DE Maxx Crosby (knee). FULL: WR Davante Adams (shoulder), S Marcus Epps (knee), DE Malcolm Koonce (knee), CB David Long (ankle), WR Jakobi Meyers (wrist), CB Amik Robertson (knee), WR Tre Tucker (knee).

Storyline

A meeting between the Raiders and Patriots means a lot of interconnected storylines. Many of the players on each team have played for coaches on the other sideline, and several of the coaches have worked with one another. But this is the second consecutive season they have played against each other, so those tales have been told ad nauseam.

“Yeah, I mean, the horse is dead. We’ve beat it enough,” McDaniels said. “It is what it is. Every week you’ve got somebody that used to play there, or they know somebody on that staff, or whatever it is. So, yeah, it’s game six for us.”

Of course, that’s not entirely true. Teacher versus student will continue to be the overarching storyline whenever Belichick faces McDaniels, who is 2-0 against his former boss.

The pick

Raiders 23, Patriots 19

Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal