Published Dec 11, 1:26pm ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Dec 11, 1:26pm ET
Grok AI
Updated Dec 11, 5:40pm ET
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| Philadelphia Eagles | -11.5 (-110) |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +11.5 (-110) |
He was 8 of 11 for 116 yards after taking over for Smith against Denver. He's on organization #4 after the Steelers drafted him and discarded him. The overwhelming likelihood is that he's a backup in the league. Given the circumstances, they might as well look at him.
The Raiders' 24-17 loss to the Broncos in Week 14 would have been just another loss in a season full of them were it not for the controversy in the waning moments centered on the referee and Las Vegas head coach Pete Carroll's strategy that directly impacted bettors.
Brutal for anyone on Denver -7.5
— 🎄 (@nickyyrebornnnn) December 8, 2025
Raiders kick a meaningless FG for the backdoor cover. @NFL isn’t even hiding it pic.twitter.com/OUMCXTjS4i
With the score 24-14 and time running out, backup QB Kenny Pickett completed a pass to Tyler Lockett. Lockett was tackled by Broncos star defensive back Patrick Surtain. The referee called Surtain for delay of game for lingering on top of Lockett. With time running out, Carroll had Daniel Carlson kick a 46-yard field goal to make the score 24-17.
The spread was Denver -7.5.
Fans were...unhappy.
Carroll's explanation is reasonable. At this point in his career, at 74 and with a Pro Football Hall of Fame case, it's almost impossible to believe there was anything untoward going on.
#Raiders HC Pete Carroll on the decision to kick the field goal at the end of the game vs. the Broncos
— Jesse Merrick - Silver & Black Sports Network (@JesseSBSN) December 8, 2025
He said he was making a plea to the officials to get more time on the clock so they could kick it and get the ball back with a second or two to try and win the game… pic.twitter.com/4LAj70bv6h
But this is the world we live in.
Indirectly, this is indicative of the problem Mark Davis faces with Carroll.
This is a long-term rebuild. It's not age discrimination to say that a coach who'll be 75 at the start of the 2026 season is probably not the ideal choice for this project. His connection to the players seems to be waning, he's being taken advantage of, and there's the harping on every decision, large and small, that circles back to the need for someone younger and more attuned to how teams operate today.
On the field, starting QB Geno Smith injured his shoulder. Pickett is expected to start against the Eagles, his former team with whom he won a Super Bowl ring as Hurts' backup in 2024. He's on organization #4. Have a look at him. What's the difference?
ALSO SEE: Jets vs Jaguars Week 15 Odds & NFL Pick (Dec 14)
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| Geno Smith, QB | INJURED |
| Kolton Miller, OT | INJURED |
| Alex Backman, WR | INJURED |
| Ian Thomas, TE | INJURED |
| Jeremy Chinn, S | INJURED |
| Jamal Adams, LB | INJURED |
| Michael Mayer, TE | INJURED |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR | INJURED |
| Maxx Crosby, DE | INJURED |
| Kyu Blu Kelly, CB | INJURED |
In Week 14, the Eagles lost their third straight game, a 22-19 setback to the Chargers, an atrociously played slog in Los Angeles.
Philly turned the ball over five times. Four were Hurts picks. And he lost a fumble.
🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨#EAGLES QB JALEN HURTS IS THE FIRST QUARTERBACK IN #NFL HISTORY TO TURN OVER THE BALL TWICE IN ONE PLAY.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 9, 2025
Jalen threw an interception and fumbled the ball in just one play.
This is something we may never see again.
pic.twitter.com/ckcq6ZevuT
Saquon Barkley ran for 122 yards on 20 carries and a TD.
Finally, A.J. Brown was a focal point of the offense, targeted 13 times, catching 6 balls, and accruing 100 yards.
Has any QB who's been to two Super Bowls, winning one, been to two Pro Bowls, and has accrued a regular season record of 54-25 gotten the amount of hate as Hurts does?
It would not be a surprise at all for GM Howie Roseman to take a flier on Drew Allar after the season.
The Eagles can still save their season, but it's looking more and more dubious with another late-season collapse in progress.
They are in control in the NFC East, but another slip-up and a Cowboys' hot streak can jeopardize that. There are even scenarios where they could miss the playoffs entirely.
The schedule is their friend. They have the Raiders, the Commanders, the Bills, and the Commanders again. The only game that, on paper, should be challenging is in Buffalo.
Ironically, the Eagles have played so poorly amid rampant dysfunction that they do not deserve the benefit of the doubt. If they take care of the Raiders, that will go a long way toward clearing the fog surrounding the entire franchise.
These are the defending Super Bowl champs we're talking about.
Star defensive tackle Jalen Carter is unlikely to play against the Raiders.
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| Landon Dickerson, G | INJURED |
| Lane Johnson, OT | INJURED |
| Myles Hinton | INJURED |
| Jalen Carter, DT | INJURED |
| Charley Hughlett, LS | INJURED |
For Week 15 Raiders-Eagles, this is a golden opportunity for Philly to, at a minimum, silence the critics who think they're going to completely collapse. Still, they have been horrific lately. On a positive note, they cannot be much worse than they were against the Chargers.
The Raiders are a bigger mess at the moment.
Unless Pickett stunningly lights it up against his former teammates, the Eagles will blow out the Raiders and get back in the right frame of mind...for the moment.
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Pick
Philadelphia Eagles -11.5
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