Raiders vs Falcons Week 12 Game Analysis
Game: Las Vegas Raiders (6-4) vs Atlanta Falcons (3-7)
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Time: Sunday, Nov. 29 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Television: CBS
Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/ Under | Team Total |
| Raiders | -3 | NA | 55 ½ | 28 ½ |
| Falcons | +3 | NA | 55 ½ | 27 |
NFL betting is the most popular form of online sports betting, and the 2020 regular season is approaching its conclusion. There are only a fistful of weeks left to make the most of our gambling opportunities, so let’s get cracking. Our sportsbook’s most recent NFL odds show the Raiders as 3-point road favorites on Sunday afternoon.
The Raiders are fighting hard for playoff positioning, and the Falcons’ postseason hopes are hanging on by a thread. Atlanta has less than a one percent chance of making the playoffs, needing to win all six remaining games. Current Super Bowl Odds show the Raiders (+3600) as lovable longshots to win the big game.
The Falcon’s odds of making the postseason are microscopic, but their survival instincts will have them playing intense football here. Both Las Vegas and Atlanta are coming off of losses, and this game is extremely important to each of them. Let’s examine this matchup more closely to identify the most fruitful betting angles to take.
Las Vegas Raiders
Betting Record
| Team | Record | ATS | ATS Home | ATS Away | ATS Fave | O/U |
| Raiders | 6-4 | 7-3 | 3-2 | 4-1 | 3-0 | 8-2 |
Next game: at Jets
Last Game
vs Chiefs
The Raiders fought toe-to-toe with the reigning champion Chiefs yet again last week and nearly accomplished earning the season sweep. Las Vegas found itself with a 17-14 halftime lead, thanks to CB Trayvon Mullen’s red-zone interception of Patrick Mahomes late in the second quarter.
Kansas City struck first in the second half, scoring on a gritty 14-yard touchdown run by Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The Raiders retook the lead 24-21 on a three-yard Derek Carr TD pass to a wide-open Darren Waller. The seesaw scoring cycle would continue.
Chiefs’ RB Le’Veon Bell ran in a six-yard touchdown with 5:54 left in the fourth quarter, making it 28-24 KC. Now it was the Raiders’ turn. Carr hit TE Jason Witten on a one-yard TD strike with 1:43 on the clock to regain the lead 31-28. Mahomes and the Chiefs would have a shot at running a two-minute drill, and it would prove fatal to Las Vegas.
Kansas City worked quickly, and Mahomes connected with TE Travis Kelce from 22 yards out, taking the lead for good. Carr was picked off by safety Daniel Sorensen on the Raiders’ first offensive play, and Las Vegas lost 35-31. What a game!
Atlanta Falcons
Betting Record
| Team | Record | ATS | ATS Home | ATS Away | ATS Dog | O/U |
| Falcons | 3-7 | 4-6 | 1-4 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 5-5 |
Next game: vs Saints
Last Game
at Saints
Drew Brees was injured, and the Saints opted to start Taysom Hill at quarterback over Jameis Winston in this game. Easy Falcons victory, right? Ex-Falcon WR Roddy white certainly thought so.
Saints about to get whip trying us with taysom hill at qb we about to snack them
— Roddy White (@roddywhiteTV) November 21, 2020
As it turned out, Hill is the one who was doing all the snacking. Hill carved up Atlanta’s soft defense for 233 yards on 18-of-23 passing, while rushing for 51 yards and two TDs. All told, the Falcons’ D allowed 378 yards to the Saints, only forcing one turnover.
Offensively, Atlanta was pretty awful. The Saints held the Falcons to 248 total yards and kept them out of the end zone all game long. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan was a forgettable 19-of-37 for 232 yards, tossing two interceptions along the way.
It didn’t help that the Saints sacked Ryan eight times, meanwhile bottling up the Falcons’ meager rushing attack. The only real bright spot for Atlanta was kicker Younghoe Koo, who drilled all three FG attempts, including a 52-yarder. New Orleans embarrassed the dirty birds 24-9, and head coach Sean Payton retweeted White’s hollow pregame trash talk afterward. It’s not a great year for the Atlanta Falcons.
Sean Payton really RT'd Roddy White 😂 pic.twitter.com/aDkLL28Zpn
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 22, 2020
Betting on the Game
Point Spread
The Falcons are 1-4 ATS at home this season, and still seem to be a bit cursed. The Raiders are 7-3 ATS in 2020, including 4-1 on the road and 3-0 as the favorite. Las Vegas is no doubt peeved about the heartbreaking heavyweight loss they suffered last week vs. Kansas City. The Raiders will be playing with a chip on their collective shoulder, and Gruden won’t be taking any chances here. Las Vegas wins big.
Moneyline
The Raiders are in the thick of postseason positioning, and their explosive talent will trump the Falcon’s survival efforts. Pay the price for the moneyline, and watch your winnings grow. Remember, it’s always better to win a little money than to win no money at all.
Over/ Under
Atlanta and Las Vegas are ranked 25th and 26th, respectively, as far as overall defense is concerned. Meanwhile, the Raiders scored the third-most points in the AFC and eighth-most points overall. Las Vegas has scored 99 points over its last three contests, producing an average of 33 PPG within that span. Ryan and the Falcons will do their best to keep up, and the result will be a boatload of points. Raiders 49, Falcons 41
