2020 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 8

Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) at Cleveland Browns (5-2)

Sunday, November 1, 1PM ET

Every time I pick the Las Vegas Raiders to win this season, it seems to backfire on me. I thought they’d pull off the win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past weekend, but obviously that didn’t pan out as I had expected. Can they get the job done in Week 8?

The signs seem to point in that direction. While their record is inferior, the Raiders are the more complete team right now. Derek Carr is playing some of his best football, and he’s got an outstanding running back to help him move the offense along. As long as the offensive line stays out of trouble, the Raiders will be set in the scoring department.

Plus, it’s not like the Cleveland Browns boast some elite defense. Apart from Myles Garrett, they’re actually rather lacking in the talent department on that side of the ball. Look for Carr to exploit that, while the Las Vegas defense does just enough to keep an OBJ-less Cleveland offense from lighting up the scoreboard.

I’m a firm believer the Raiders are a fringe AFC playoff team, while the Browns are pretenders at this point in the season. We’ll get another firsthand glimpse at both of those assertions on Sunday when the Raiders get the win on the road.

Prediction: Raiders win 30-24