Henry Roldán
The Raiders vs Steelers matchup on Saturday night might make or break both of their NFL seasons, so, in this way, the holiday gift might arrive earlier than expected for one of these teams.
Las Vegas is coming off its fourth win in its last five games with a 24-30 victory over the Patriots, while Pittsburgh picked up its fourth win in its last six games after dispatching the Panthers 24-16.
Without further ado, JefeBet brings you the preview for this crucial game between the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Las Vegas Raiders for the battle for the final AFC wild card.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the Las Vegas Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 16 Game on December 24, 2022
- Where: Acrisure Stadium – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- When: Saturday, December 24, 2022, 8:15 PM E.T.
Odds provided by BetMGM.
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Betting on the Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders appear to have woken up late from their overall inconsistency and now find themselves two games out of the final AFC wild card with three games remaining and several teams vying for the same spot.
In three of their last four wins, Las Vegas has scored at least 27 points and in the last five games they have only once failed to surpass 100 rushing yards, falling just short of 97 against the Patriots. The Raiders tie for sixth in yards gained per play with 5.8, and their 14 fumbles are the third-fewest in the NFL. Moreover, they are also third in average yards per rush with 5.0; however, they have not been more productive in this way, recording only 11 touchdowns.
The most important change for the Raiders, though, has happened regarding their defense. After squandering three leads of 17 or more points during the season, in three of the last five games they allowed 20 or fewer points to their opponents.
They still rank among the top ten teams in the league for points allowed, average yards gained per play, and passing and rushing touchdowns allowed, though, since the damage was already done. Additionally, they are second to last in turnovers with just 11 and opponents score 61.9% of the time in the red zone.
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
Like the Raiders, the Steelers appear to have woken up a little late in the season, and now they are tied with their rivals and two games out of the last American Conference wild card.
Pittsburgh will rely on their defense in this game, as it has throughout the season. In their last six games, only the Bengals scored them more than 17 points, partly as a result of their continued effort to impede the opposition’s ground game. With seven TDs allowed, the Steelers have allowed the second-fewest rushing scores, and in two of their previous six games, the opposition failed to gain more than 30 yards on the ground. Things are more difficult in the air, but they have found a solution by ranking second in interceptions with 14.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers hope to have Kenny Pickett, who is out of concussion protocol, back on Saturday. The improvement of the offense came hand in hand with the progress of the rookie quarterback, who in the last five games has not thrown an interception. Pittsburgh’s passing game continues to be one of the worst in the league, and their nine passing TDs are the lowest number in the league. This makes the offense very dependent on the ground offense and the balls recovered by the defense.
JefeBet Prediction
Las Vegas has the lead over Pittsburgh in the passing duel, despite the Raiders’ strong ground attack having to contend with one of the league’s top run defenses.
Derek Carr is having his best moment of the season and will face a Steelers team that is struggling with the passing game. This is something the Raiders won’t suffer with Kenny Pickett and company, who must juggle to find the end zone.
Prediction: Raiders to win (LV 23 – PIT 17).
