With just six games of the regular season left to play in the 2021 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders have just half of those games in front of a home crowd at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada.
Although the Raiders are currently in its second year at the venue, it is the first season in which they have been allowed to compete with fans in the stands roaring them on and cheering the likes of Derek Carr and Darren Waller, as well as many other notable names, with each snap that is played on the gridiron.
The 2021 NFL season is one that has proven to be rather mixed for the franchise this year as we head into December 2021, though, with the team holding a record of 6-5 as we head into Week 13.
Of those 11 results, fans at the Allegiant Stadium have been able to witness the team win four of their six total games, whilst losing the other three played at home thus far, including back-to-back defeats to Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals. Therefore, those fans who look for the best legal online sports betting site in Arizona to place bets on the Raiders when playing at home might be confident with the organization’s chances of winning when they play the Washington Football Team in Week 14 (December 5, 2021), especially as Unibet AZ has them favorites to win with odds of -148 being provided.
What can we expect from the Raiders, though, in their final three home matches of the NFL 2021 season? Let’s take a look at the teams they will play and what could happen.
Washington Football Team (Week 13)
As already highlighted, we already know that the Las Vegas Raiders will be playing their next match at the Allegiant Stadium and will be going up against a resurgent Washington Football Team on Sunday.
The NFC East franchise is one that needs to be carefully planned for, though, as the Ron Rivera and Taylor Heinicke organization are one that has been able to pull a few surprise results this season.
Although the team’s record is a losing one and currently stands at 5-6, Washington Football Team is playing complementary football that suggests that they are significantly better than what they once were, especially as they have three wins on the bounce against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks.
The Raiders have managed to defeat two of the four NFC East teams already, having defeated the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys last week in overtime in Texas, however they did lose to the New York Giants. It is not a game that Carr will be able to go easy in.
Denver Broncos (Week 16)
Boxing Day will see AFC West rivals the Denver Broncos visit the Allegiant Stadium and whilst it is hard to predict what the standings in the division will look like once this game appears on the schedule, everyone will know it is going to be one in which the Raiders are going to need to be at their very best.
The two sides met in Week 6 with the Nevada-based franchise coming out on top in that contest with a 34-24 victory, but the Broncos have since improved on their form following that result.
As of the end of November and Week 12, both franchises are still in the hunt for a playoff spot and sit just outside the wild cards berth and if they continue to match each other in the coming weeks, then we can expect an incredible contest at the Allegiant Stadium on Boxing Day!
Los Angeles Chargers (Week 18)
The final game of the 2021 NFL regular season for the Las Vegas Raiders will take place at home, as they will compete against AFC West Divisional rivals the Los Angeles Chargers in a game that could alter the entire season.
Both teams are in positions currently where they are competing for a place in the postseason, with the team from California currently holding the final wild-card spot with their 6-5 record thus far.
Led by Justin Herbert, the Chargers have been exceptional over the course of the year and some had even touted them to be amongst the best of the AFC teams in the entire conference. With January 9, 2022, being the date on which the fixture is scheduled, it could be a make or break for the Raiders but with home support behind them, they will be hoping they can achieve a positive result that will keep Super Bowl aspirations on track.