Patriots Raiders Betting – Pats Bounce Back, Put Up Points In Oakland

Sports betting players shouldn’t jump off the New England bandwagon just yet, even though they choked away a huge lead last week. The Patriots head west to face Oakland, who are coming off a huge game off another AFC East team, but New England’s offense will lead the way to another victory.

What: NFL Betting
When: Sunday, October 2nd, 4:15 PM ET
Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Pick: New England Patriots -4.5

Why Bet On New England Patriots (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS)

The Patriots wasted a 21-0 lead in the first half, falling 34-31 to lose to Buffalo for the first time in 16 games, and they uncharacteristically shot themselves in the foot. Tom Brady was 30-of-45 for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but he was also picked off four times. It was also basically a two-man attack as Wes Welker (16 catches, 217 yards, two touchdowns) and Rob Gronkowski (seven catches, 109 yards, two touchdowns) led the way, but the Chad Ochocinco experiment may be coming to a close as he dropped a sure touchdown and doesn’t appear to know what routes to run. Defensively, the Patriots couldn’t keep up with the Bills in the second half of the game and the secondary got torched, even though they managed a couple of picks. Finally, New England gave Buffalo four first downs due to flags.

It wasn’t a bad performance by New England, it was just inconsistent and literally, it was a tale of two halves. They got a running game going, and rookie Stevan Ridley should get some more reps this week. The Patriots have an explosive aerial attack, but more balance would make Brady and company even more dangerous. New England would love to have tight end Aaron Hernandez back in the lineup, but it’s not likely that he is not fully recovered from a knee injury.

Why Bet On Oakland Raiders (2-1 SU, 1-1-1 ATS)

Oakland’s 34-24 win over the New York Jets surprised some NFL betting players, but more surprising was the way in which they won the game; the Raiders ran straight down the Jets’ throats, gaining 234 yards on the ground, led by 171 yards from Darren McFadden. All Jason Campbell had to do was manage the game and he did just that, going 18-of-27 for 156 yards and even though he didn’t throw a touchdown, he didn’t throw a pick, either. The defense picked up four sacks and forced a couple of turnovers, and while they allowed 439 yards, they made stops when they had to. The Raiders played an inspired game against the Jets, and they even did while coming from behind as Oakland were down 17-7 late in the second quarter.

The Raiders failed to convert all eight of their third-down opportunities, and that has to be rectified heading into this game. Oakland also committed seven penalties, which is good for them, but five of the flags gave the Jets a first down, so discipline is still a problem. To be honest, if it wasn’t for McFadden going wild the Raiders would have probably lost this game because we don’t like Campbell’s chances against the New York secondary. He is a game-manager, not a guy who is going to put you on his back and carry you to a victory but then again, the Raiders don’t need him to be Tom Brady. However, they may need him a bit more this week as McFadden (groin) was seen limping around and even though he participated fully in practice, the Raiders are still worried (although they’ll also give him as many carries as he can handle). Oakland may also get receiver Jacoby Ford (hamstring) back, but fellow wideout Louis Murphy (groin) is likely out. How It Will Play Out

NFL betting lines have the Patriots as a 4.5-point favorite on the road in Oakland, where they are 1-1 SU and ATS in their last two trips, with one game going over the posted total. Over their last five meetings, the Patriots are 3-2 SU and 2-2-1 ATS against the Raiders with three games failing under the total, but this game has “shootout” written all over it.

The New England secondary is banged up, but we’re not sure Campbell can take advantage of it and we don’t think McFadden will have another 170-yard game. Brady will be focused this week after four picks against the Bills, and he may even get some help from the running game. The Patriots haven’t lost two games in a row since Weeks 12 and 13 in 2009, and they won’t this week. Take New England to cover in your online betting picks.