Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup Preview (9/19/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)
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Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup Preview (9/19/21)
In Week 1, the Raiders and Steelers earned impressive upset victories over playoff teams from last season. The Steelers went on the road and beat the Bills, who were one game away from the Super Bowl last season, while the Raiders upset the Ravens at home in the first game with fans in Las Vegas. The Raiders won’t benefit from their home fans in this game as the Steelers return to the friendly confines of Heinz Stadium. Las Vegas upset Pittsburgh last season in a 24-21 home win, and the Raiders have won three of their last four wins against the Steelers. Will that trend continue?
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds
The Steelers are 11-3 in their last 14 games at home and 4-1 in their last five games against the Raiders. With Las Vegas traveling east on a short week following a thriller on Monday Night Football, I’m concerned about the Raiders’ ability to cover the spread. There are many studies done on how West Coast teams struggle traveling East, particularly on a short week. Both offensive lines should be weaknesses in these games, but I trust the Steelers’ front seven to take advantage of it more frequently. In these teams’ last three meetings, the Raiders have covered the spread each time, but I’m betting on the Steelers to get to 2-0 to start the season and cover the spread at home.
My predictions: Steelers win 26-20, Steelers cover, under 47 points
TV Schedule
Date: Sunday, September 19th
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA (Initials)
TV Coverage: CBS
Los Angeles Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Live Stream
Where can you watch Raiders vs. Steelers online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Raiders vs. Steelers Free Online Now.
Injuries
Las Vegas Raiders: OG Richie Incognito (calf) Q, DE Yannick Ngakoue (hamstring) Q, DE Clelin Ferrell (back) Q, QB Marcus Mariota (quadriceps) Q, DT Gerald McCoy (knee) O, OG Denzelle Good (knee – ACL) O, RB Jalen Richard (foot) IR
Pittsburgh Steelers: LB Robert Spillane (shin) Q, DE Stephon Tuitt (undisclosed) IR, RB Anthony McFarland (undisclosed) IR, OT Zach Banner (knee – ACL) IR
Las Vegas Raiders Analysis
I was very impressed with Derek Carr on Monday Night. It was far from a perfect night for the Raiders’ quarterback, but he saved his best for last and never looked rattled behind a suspect offensive line against one of the best front sevens in football. While he completed just 60% of his passes, he finished with 435 passing yards against an elite secondary and had a couple of touchdown passes. Things don’t get any easier for Carr this week, though, as the Steelers held Josh Allen to a 58% completion rate and sacked him 3 times as the Bills averaged just 4.7 yards per play, a meager rate for the team that ranked sixth in that metric last season.
Josh Jacobs did run for two touchdowns, but he averaged just 3.4 YPC, and the Raiders averaged just 3.9 YPC as a team. If it weren’t for a 31-yard run by Marus Mariota on a misdirection play, Vegas would have averaged just 2.6 YPC as a team. The new-look Raiders offensive line struggled to open up running lanes. Denzelle Good, the lone returning starter on the offensive line from last season other than Kolton Miller, suffered a season-ending ACL injury after just 17 snaps. This offensive line is very much in transition and will have a rough go of it against the likes of T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward in Pittsburgh.
Derek Carr peppered Darren Waller with targets – 19 of them, to be exact – in Week 1. While Waller finished with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, making the offense far too easy to predict and stop for the Ravens’ secondary. Bryan Edwards came on late in the game and finished with 4 catches for 81 yards, but Henry Ruggs had just 2 catches for 46 yards. The Steelers held Stefon Diggs to 9 catches for 69 yards in Week 1 (7.7 YPR), and Diggs is a far better talent than any of the Raiders’ wideouts. Even if the offensive line can hold up long enough to allow Carr to get the ball downfield, Pittsburgh’s back-end coverage can handle a limited pass-catching group.
New Raiders’ defensive coordinator Gus Bradley coached his first game with his new team and held the Ravens to 3-12 on third down, a surprisingly bad rate for the team that ranked second in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage last season. Lamar Jackson was held to just 63.3% passing for 235 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens’ ground game was effective but not as dominant as in past matchups against Las Vegas. The Raiders’ pass rush was especially potent as Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue, and Carl Nassib all had great games against Baltimore’s offensive line. The Steelers have a worse offensive line, so the Raiders’ pass rush could be the key for them in this game.
Las Vegas Raiders Depth Chart
QB: Derek Carr
RB1: Josh Jacobs
RB2: Kenyan Drake
WR1: Henry Ruggs III
WR2: Hunter Renfrow
WR3: Bryan Edwards
TE1: Darren Waller
TE2: Foster Moreau
Pittsburgh Steelers Analysis
The Steelers earned an impressive upset in Week 1, but it wasn’t due to their offense as they scored just 16 offensive points, had just 16 first downs, and compiled just 252 yards of offense. Ben Roethlisberger struggled overall as he completed just 56% of his passes and had an interception to Tre’Davious White that was called back on a defensive holding penalty. Roethlisberger struggled to move the ball against a stacked Buffalo secondary. While the Raiders’ secondary should be friendlier, I have concerns about his ability to produce against an explosive pass rush in Week 1.
Critics will admonish Najee Harris for averaging just 2.8 YPC in his pro debut, but I have a different takeaway. Harris was on the field for 100% of his team’s snaps, and while he was stifled by the Bills’ front seven, I have high hopes for him against the Las Vegas defense that allowed the Ravens to run all over them in Week 1. Pittsburgh’s offensive line isn’t nearly as good as Baltimore’s, however. Dan Moore Jr. fared well as the 2020 fourth-round pick was the team’s best offensive lineman in his start at left tackle. This offensive line has a lot of work to do before it’s considered anything but one of the worst in the NFL.
Along with Ben Roethlisberger’s limited passing production came a lack of success for Pittsburgh’s receiving weapons. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the way with 4 catches for 52 yards, and Diontae Johnson had 5 catches for 36 yards and a touchdown. Chase Claypool only had 3 catches, but he did have 45 yards. Those three should fare better against a Raiders secondary that allowed big games to both Sammy Watkins and Marqise Brown in Week 1. Casey Hayward Jr. had an excellent Week 1 with just two targets, and no catches allowed in 39 coverage snaps, but the rest of the cornerback room is underwhelming.
Pittsburgh’s defense stole the show in Week 1, holding Josh Allen to perhaps his worst game since before his breakout campaign last season. Cameron Heyward had 12 total QB pressures against Allen, while T.J. Watt had 7 and 2 sacks. I was impressed with the back-end coverage from Pittsburgh as Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton played solid games at cornerback. Devin Bush looked excellent in his return from a 2020 season-ending ACL injury. This should be one of the best defenses in football yet again.
Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB1: Najee Harris
RB2: Benny Snell Jr.
WR1: Diontae Johnson
WR2: JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR3: Chase Claypool
TE1: Eric Ebron
TE2: Pat Freiermuth
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Daily Fantasy Picks
After Najee Harris struggled in Week 1, it may be tempting to fade him in DFS this week. However, the Raiders allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the running back position last year, so this is a nice spot for Harris to bounce back. Chase Claypool carries some intrigue in GPP but has a wide range of outcomes, while Diontae Johnson is a safe cash play with how heavily targeted he is. On the Raiders’ side, it’s difficult to trust any of the team’s players in such a difficult matchup. Darren Waller is a fine play with his involvement in the offense, but I would avoid any of the other Las Vegas players.
- Bills @ Rams
- Saints @ Falcons
- Browns @ Panthers
- 49ers @ Bears
- Steelers @ Bengals
- Eagles @ Lions
- Colts @ Texans
- Patriots @ Dolphins
- Ravens @ Jets
- Jaguars @ Commanders
- Giants @ Titans
- Chiefs @ Cardinals
- Raiders @ Chargers
- Packers @ Vikings
- Buccaneers @ Cowboys
- Broncos @ Seahawks
