The NFL is a week-to-week league. Losing in such a convincing fashion to the Green Bay Packers was disappointing, but the Washington Commanders get an instant chance to right this wrong in front of their passionate fan base.
Next up is the Las Vegas Raiders, who'll be seething after an error-prone defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Geno Smith threw three picks, and everything looked disjointed. Pete Carroll's squad will turn the page quickly, and they are a dangerous obstacle to overcome when firing on all cylinders.
This also sees safety Jeremy Chinn make a quick return to Northwest Stadium. That adds an extra level of fascination to the clash, but the Commanders will be far more worried about their current injury issues rather than an ex-player.
Commanders vs. Raiders game details
- Date: Sunday, September 21
- Time: 1.00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Northwest Stadium
- Channel: FOX
Commanders vs. Raiders early odds for Week 3
According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Commanders are 3.5-point favorites at home to the Raiders in Week 3. This is available at -110, whichever side of the points spread you fancy (bet $110 to win $100).
Anyone looking to take the Commanders' money line can get odds of -186 currently (bet $186 to win $100). The Raiders are slight underdogs for the clash with a long way to travel on a short week at +156 (bet $100 to win $156)
FanDuel Sportsbook set the over/under for the contest at 44.5 points. This suggests there won't be many fireworks, given quarterback Jayden Daniels' uncertain status for the game. Again, this is available at -110 in both directions (bet $110 to win $100).
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Commanders vs. Raiders early prediction for Week 3
This is a tough one to judge. If the Commanders were at full strength, one would feel confident about a convincing victory. But with several injury problems to counteract, it's not that simple.
Daniels holds the key. A knee sprain isn't ideal, so the Commanders should seriously consider sitting him out if they aren't 100 percent convinced. Marcus Mariota is a capable understudy, and he'll be gunning for revenge against one of his old employers who stuck with the struggling Derek Carr rather than giving him a shot.
Defensively, the Commanders need a concise plan to contain Brock Bowers. They were tormented by Green Bay's tight ends, and the Georgia product has the scope to cause significant harm if given enough space. There's also the small matter of stopping first-round running back Ashton Jeanty from taking over proceedings to complicate matters further.
- Prediction: Commanders win
This is a winnable game, regardless of whether Daniels suits up or not. With some extended rest and the added motivation of bouncing back from defeat, that should be enough to get Washington over the line.