There’s nothing quite like having a “new era” of football for your team. The Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints have had plenty of glory in their past, but both have also seen their share of despair. But right now, fans of both organizations are filled with hope for the future and even then present as we enter Week 3 of the NFL season.

The Las Vegas Raiders actually have a double dose of hope right now. New head coach Klint Kubiak has been putting a great product on the field with two wins so far behind veteran Kirk Cousins. That’s been without star tight end Brock Bowers, so it’s set to get even better this week with him returning. And, if the ship starts to fall apart with Cousins, they have first overall pick Fernando Mendoza in their back pocket for a second splash of upside for the fans.

The New Orleans Saints are right there with them behind a promising young quarterback in Tyler Shough. It was smart of them to take their stab at Kellen Moore coming off a Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles, as his offense has been humming with guys like Chris Olave and Travis Etienne. And, like the Raiders, they have their first-round pick in their back pocket as well in Jordyn Tyson, who will return from injury at some point this season.

 

🏅 Raiders vs. Saints Expert Pick: Tre Tucker Longest Reception Over 18.5 Yards  (-116 on DraftKings)

Let me get this out there right away. Tre Tucker is obviously NOT Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He never will be. So that’s what I’m about to say with these next few comments. But the bet for Tre Tucker this week does have a lot to do with the success that Jaxon Smith-Njigba had and how Klint Kubiak is implementing this offense in Las Vegas.

Kubiak loves his tight ends and fullbacks. That was evident in Seattle and will become even more evident this week when Brock Bowers joins Michael Mayer. What that leads to is a lot of two- or even one-wide receiver sets. In Seattle, the guy in those sets with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and, in Las Vegas, the guy is Tre Tucker.

Last year, JSN led the league in 20+ yard receptions, which is impressive given how many Alec Pierce had. Some of that is because of how awesome he is but what really unlocked it was all the pre-snap motion, play action, and other creativity that Kubiak brings to the table. So there’s reason to believe that the 21-yard catch in Week 1 or the 40- and 42-yard receptions in Week Two were not flukes. There could be a lot of back and forth in this one - I’d bet my bottom dollar that Tucker gets a couple deep shots here, so it’s just a matter of him catching one. 

 

 

 

👀 How To Watch Raiders vs. Saints NFL Week 3

  • Where: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA
  • When: 4:25 PM ET on 9/27
  • Watch on TV: CBS
  • Where to stream: Paramount+, NFL+

 

🔢 Raiders vs. Saints Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

 

 

 

🏉 Raiders vs. Saints Injury Report & Latest News

It might not have much effect on the game, but it’s worth mentioning that this is the anniversary of the Saints' first return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Maybe that could provide a boost to a team that doesn’t really even need it, as Tyler Shough leads the NFL with 662 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Chris Olave has 18 catches for 268 yards and a score. On the injury front, WR/RS Barion Brown (hamstring), CB Martin Emerson Jr. (shoulder), DL Christen Miller (toe) and RB Kendre Miller (illness) are all trending toward missing the game. Travis Etienne (hamstring) was limited both days as well so Alvin Kamara and CJ Donaldson could have to step up some this week. Chase Young (calf), Nathan Shepherd (hip) and Jonas Sanker (knee) all got upgraded as the week went on. There's also a little revenge angle as kicker Daniel Carlson faces the Raiders for the first time after eight seasons in Las Vegas.

On the Las Vegas side, they have to be pleased with what they are getting from new head coach Klint Kubiak. He’s implemented the same scheme that just won the Super Bowl, and the Raiders are off to a 2-0 start. There’s also a bit of a revenge game narrative here with Kubiak, who was the Saints' offensive coordinator in 2024. He said this Saints offense is "very explosive, very well-coached." Kirk Cousins will attempt to lead this team to their third straight win with the help of Brock Bowers, making his return this week after knee surgery earlier this month. On the rest of the injury report, S Treydan Stukes (concussion) and DE Kwity Paye (illness) look likely to miss the game, and backup QB Aidan O'Connell is away for personal reasons. Losing the rookie Stukes in the secondary against Shough and Olave could lead to some chunk plays on the other side.

 

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