Thursday Night Football prediction: Raiders over Rams

LAS VEGAS (5-7) AT L.A. RAMS (3-9)

TV: Amazon Prime, 8:15 p.m.

Las Vegas by 6.5; O/U: 44.5

If the Raiders’ second-half resurgence doesn’t end with a wild-card berth, the team will look back on the 2022 season with two words: What if?

What if they hadn’t blown a 20-0 halftime lead in their home opener, a 29-23 overtime Week 2 loss after the Cardinals returned a fumble for a touchdown in overtime? What if, three weeks later, they held on at Kansas City on MNF after taking a 17-0 lead in an eventual 30-29 loss? And what if, just once during their first nine games, they found a way to win a one-score contest instead of going 0-6?

Now, after three straight wins — two in overtime and all of them one-score games — what if I told you they still might make the playoffs? After the Rams, Las Vegas hosts New England and travels to Pittsburgh before finishing with home games against San Francisco and Kansas City. It’s a long shot, but crazier things have happened in the NFL.

Let’s focus on the first game. The Rams have lost six in a row and, at 3-9, have the worst 12-game start by any defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history. It felt as if they treated last week as their Super Bowl this year, the injury-plagued hosts going all-out to stop a division rival. Seattle scored a late touchdown to escape with a 27-23 win. Four days later, will we see the Rams’ best effort?  

The biggest stars on the field in L.A. Thursday night will be Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams as the Raiders look to take another step toward an unlikely playoff spot. It’s never easy covering as big favorites on the road, but if what the last few weeks have told us is true, there’s no what-ifs, ands or buts about the Raiders being the right pick.

The pick: Las Vegas

By Joe Manniello

joe.manniello@newsday.com@joe_manniello

Joe Manniello, an editor on the sports copy desk, has written the NFL picks column since 2015. Manniello joined Newsday in 2004. He graduated from St. John's.