Raiders vs. Jets Picks: Bet the Over & Geno Smith Props

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Pushing The Odds with Matt Perrault

Raiders-Jets Matchup Could Produce Points as Ashton Jeanty Adds Fuel to the Fire

The Raiders visit the Jets in what could be viewed as a Geno Smith revenge game. Las Vegas has lost four consecutive games, and the schedule becomes more difficult with a road game against San Francisco followed by a home game against Seattle. With the trade deadline on November 10, there is also talk about Kirk Cousins potentially being traded and questions about when Mendoza will play.

The Jets are favored by 1.5, but trusting them to beat the Raiders is difficult. Las Vegas was routed by the Patriots the last time it traveled east. Despite that result, this matchup has the potential to become a sneaky shootout. Both defenses have been exposed at different points, making the over at 45.5 appealing.

Geno Smith’s passing touchdown total also offers an opportunity. The over on 1.5 passing touchdowns has already been played, based on Smith having a full complement of weapons over the past two weeks and the Jets ranking seventh in red-zone passing rate.

Garrett Wilson’s receiving yardage over is another appealing option. This could be a squeaky-wheel game after some quiet performances. Wilson has said he does not want to be traded, while Omar Cooper Junior has produced big games. One of Wilson’s down games came with Christian Gonzalez shadowing him on roughly 94% of his routes against the Patriots.

Another major storyline emerged when Ashton Jeanty was asked about facing the Jets. He said, “I think we could definitely get the run game going, get back on track, and just really get after these guys. A couple of guys out there that don’t really want to tackle. I’m not going to say names.”

Calling out the Jets’ willingness to tackle gives an Aaron Glenn defense bulletin-board material, especially when the Raiders have struggled to run the ball. Jeanty is not fully healthy, and the offensive line has the lowest yards before contact per attempt in the NFL by a sizable margin. The gap between the Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals, identified as the second-worst run-blocking line, is nearly half a yard.

Those comments could put Jeanty in Clint Kubiak’s doghouse. After four consecutive losses, calling out another team’s defense is not the type of message the Raiders need coming from their locker room.

Jeanty’s rushing unders may now be worth considering. The Jets could load the box, fly to the football and make stopping him their primary focus after he questioned their willingness to tackle. That approach could still allow the Raiders to throw the ball, helping the case for a higher-scoring game.

The comments were particularly questionable with the Raiders playing on the road after allowing 45 points to the Patriots during their previous trip to the Eastern Time Zone. It is a storyline worth watching in a game that could feature plenty of points.