loading...
League Logo
CBB
League Logo
CBB
League Logo
NBA
League Logo
MLB
League Logo
NHL
All
    loading...

    Bucs vs. Raiders Week 7 spread, betting odds: Las Vegas may have coronavirus issue; game moved earlier Sunday

    The Raiders had to practice Wednesday and Thursday without all their starting offensive linemen due to a COVID-19 worry. Their game vs. Tampa Bay is no longer on Sunday night, either.
    Hero Image

    The NFL is clearly worried about a COVID-19 outbreak on the Las Vegas Raiders as the league has shifted Bucs-Raiders from Sunday night to 4:25 p.m. ET and moved Seahawks-Cardinals to the prime-time spot. The Raiders placed starting right tackle Trent Brown on the COVID-19/reserve list this week, and the team sent the entire starting offensive line home Wednesday from the facility because they/some have been around Brown. That entire group is isolating. The Bucs are currently 4-point favorites on the William Hill NFL odds.

    From the NFL: "We expect the Buccaneers-Raiders game to be played on Sunday afternoon. Scheduling decisions are made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts."  

    Update: The other O-Line four starters, Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, Denzelle Good and Kolton Miller also have landed on the COVID-19/reserve list. Even if they continue to test negative, all five players must self-isolate for five days. Thus, it seems rather unlikely Bucs-Raiders is played Sunday but probably pushed to Monday or Tuesday. 

    The Raiders just got back Brown back in Week 5 from calf injury, and he was expected to be close to 100 percent for Sunday's game but now is doubtful to play. That said, just because a player is placed on the COVID-19/reserve list doesn't mean he tested positive but that he has been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. Needless to say, Friday morning's returned team-wide test results loom large. The league and NFLPA are looking into whether Raiders players have followed COVID-19 protocols. 

    The Raiders activated defensive tackle Maurice Hurst off the COVID-19/reserve list on Monday but also put rookie first-round cornerback Damon Arnette on it. He wasn't going to play for a while due to thumb surgery regardless. The Raiders actually come off their bye week but apparently some members of that offensive line did spend time together during it.

    The last thing Las Vegas needs is a short-handed offensive line against a Tampa Bay defense that is only the second in the past 20 seasons in the league to have at least 10 takeaways, 20 sacks and allow fewer than 70 rush yards per game in its first six outings. The only other to do it was the 2008 Steelers, who won the Super Bowl.

    Meanwhile, the Raiders activated quarterback Marcus Mariota off injured reserve, but Coach Jon Gruden said "it's up in the air" whether he or Nathan Peterman will back up Derek Carr on Sunday. Carr has been brilliant so far as he leads the NFL with a 73.1 completion percentage and has just one pick. That has quieted camp talk that Gruden signed Mariota to potentially replace Carr at some point in 2020.

    So which teams should you back in Week 7 of the 2020 NFL season? And which Super Bowl contender goes down HARD? ... Join SportsLine right now to see who wins and covers every single NFL game this week, plus get the exact final score, all from the acclaimed model that has returned over $7,300 on its top-rated NFL picks!

    SportsLine Staff

    Share This Story