Rams Raiders Betting – Pair of Winless Teams Meet In Week Two In Oakland
After starting their season with a close online sports betting loss to the Arizona Cardinals at home, the St. Louis Rams travel to California this weekend for their first road tilt of the season. The Oakland Raiders were blown away in their season opener by the Tennessee Titans, and are hoping that they can correct their mistakes in enough time to open the home portion of their schedule with a crucial victory. Neither is expected to make a playoff run in 2010-11, but in just the second game of the season, there is a lot on the line for both coaches.
NFL Betting: St. Louis Rams @ Oakland Raiders
Sports Betting Odds: Raiders – 4.5
Why To Bet On The Rams?
St. Louis kept it close in their 17-13 loss to the reigning AFC West division champion Cardinals. Tied at ten after the first half, the Rams actually led at the open of the fourth quarter before allowing Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to catch a 21-yard touchdown pass to reverse the outcome. Quarterback Sam Bradford enjoyed a solid NFL debut while throwing for 253 yards and a touchdown on 32 completions, but three interceptions ended up proving costly. Running back Stephen Jackson rumbled for a game-high 81 rushing yards, while the defense limited one of the league’s better offenses from last year to just two scores through three quarters. The Rams appear to be much better this year than the previous one, but a win away from home will be a tall order.
Why To Bet On The Raiders?
Oakland was thoroughly dominated in a 38-13 loss on the road versus the Titans, falling behind 24-6 in the first half before watching Tennessee dominate the rest of the way. An old problem crept up again early for the Raiders as they allowed Tennessee running backs Chris Johnson and Javon Ringer to rush for 175 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Vince Young threw for another couple of scores. Raiders’ quarterback Jason Campbell was projected as an upgrade over last year’s starter Jamarcus Russell, but barely got his chance in the pocket as the line allowed him to be sacked four times, and forced two turnovers that led to points. Raiders’ running back Darren McFadden averaged over five yards a carry on 18 runs, and with Michael Bush out with an injury will be relied on even more this week as Oakland gets back to the basics.
How The Game Will Play Out
Bradford and the Rams enjoyed a decent football betting start to their campaign, and despite not getting their desired result there were many positives that the team will take from the game moving forward. St. Louis may find it tougher to get it going on the road however, after the Raiders were embarrassed away from home last week. Oakland will get back to the simple things this week, including running the ball and stopping the run, so the Rams will need to toughen in a hurry.
Rams Raiders Betting Pick: Raiders
