The Raiders have lost five straight, but sharp bettors are backing them in Sunday’s road game against the Dolphins.
Miami is a consensus 7-point home favorite, with the Raiders still available at Caesars Sportsbook at +7½ (-120).
The Westgate SuperBook and Station Sports took early sharp play on the Raiders +7½.
“To me, it’s still kind of a head-scratcher. But I’ve been wrong a couple times we’ve seen that,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said of sharps backing the Raiders. “They’re traveling across the country playing in Miami.
“I think this is going to be a pros versus Joes game, where sharp money comes in on the Raiders, but the public is going to be all over the Dolphins.”
The Raiders (2-7, 4-5 ATS) covered in back-to-back losses to the Rams (20-15, +7) and Chiefs (27-20, +8½) before getting blown out by the Bengals 41-24 on Nov. 3 as 7½-point underdogs.
The Raiders, coming off their bye week, covered at Miami last season as 14-point underdogs in a 20-13 loss.
The Dolphins (3-6, 3-6 ATS) beat the Rams 23-15 on “Monday Night Football” and have covered their last two games after starting the season 1-6 ATS.
“The Dolphins really almost have to win every game if they’re going to get back in a wild-card (playoff) game,” Esposito said. “My guess is by the time this game kicks, we are going to be huge Raiders fans.”
Sharps bet on under
The consensus total is 44 after SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said the book took early sharp play on under 45.
Miami is 6-3 to the under this season and on a 10-4 under run overall. The Raiders are on a 4-1 over surge and have a 6-3 over-under record this season.
The Dolphins are 30th in the NFL in scoring with 16.3 points per game, and the Raiders are 25th at 18.7 ppg.
“There is not really any significant action on that game so far,” Circa Sports risk manager Dylan Sullivan said Friday. “I don’t have much of an opinion on the game. The Dolphins seem to be getting it together, but their offense hasn’t been very good even with (quarterback) Tua (Tagovailoa) back, so it could be competitive.”
Tagovailoa missed four games because of a concussion suffered in Week 2. He returned in Week 8 and has completed 73 of 94 passes for 672 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the last three games (1-2).
His touchdown passes prop at Caesars Sportsbook is 1½, and his passing yards prop is 239½.
Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew’s touchdown passes prop is ½ (over -244), and his passing yards prop is 197½.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at [email protected]. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
Player to score first touchdown
At Caesars Sportsbook
De’Von Achane +325
Tyreek Hill +550
Jaylen Waddle 7-1
Alexander Mattison 8-1
Jonnu Smith +950
Raheem Mostert 10-1
Jakobi Meyers 11-1
Brock Bowers 11-1
Zamir White 15-1
Tre Tucker +1,750
Jaylen Wright 19-1
Odell Beckham, Jr. 22-1
DJ Turner 23-1
Tua Tagovailoa 24-1
Malik Washington 24-1
Ameer Abdullah 26-1
Michael Mayer 28-1
Julian Hill 30-1
Alec Ingold 30-1
Gardner Minshew 35-1
Ramel Keyton 35-1
Durham Smythe 40-1
River Cracraft 45-1
Alex Bachman 55-1
