The Raiders were finally headed in the right direction. They hired a head coach who had won in the past, made some shrewd draft selections and had stability at quarterback. That was flushed last week with a resounding loss to the Bengals.
Derek Carr injured his hand and is doubtful and the Raiders are teetering on another disappointing season.
ODDS
The odds for this game haven’t hit the board yet while we wait word on the status of Oakland quarterback Derek Carr. Even though both teams looked awful last week, I would expect the Ravens to be a laying a few points, regardless of who the Raiders peg as their starter. The total will likely come in low based on last week’s performances, but improved play from Joe Flacco should give the teams a run at the over.
KEY INJURIES
Terrell Suggs – Is done for the year after tearing his left Achilles tendon Sunday in Denver. Baltimore will start Elvis Dumervil opposite Courtney Upshaw to fill the void, but the leadership of Suggs will be hard to replace. Rookie Za’Darius Smith will likely see more action.
Derek Carr – The Raiders quarterback avoided serious injury to his throwing hand but a bruised thumb may cause him to miss Sunday’s game. Carr left last week’s game in the first half with the injury and didn’t return. Matt McGloin finished up and would start if Carr is unable to go.
Nate Allen – will undergo more testing but it’s feared the Raiders safety has a torn ACL.
Charles Woodson – Oakland’s other safety dislocated his shoulder in is out for an undetermined amount of time, leaving the Raiders thin in the defensive backfield. Taylor Mays, who was with the team during the preseason, was re-signed and likely starts against the Ravens.
KEY MISMATCH
The Ravens are known for their defense playing in the rugged AFC North. Their pass defense was particularly sharp last week, shutting down Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Baltimore limited Manning to just 175 yards and no touchdowns with Jimmy Smith returning an interception for a touchdown. The Ravens kept Denver’s receiving duo of Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas in check while sacking Manning four times. Denver’s quarterback was sacked just 17 times last season. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees put together an effective game plan to contain the Broncos offense and will have fewer pieces to deal with this week. The Raiders didn’t take a snap in Cincinnati territory until the fourth quarter and avoided the shutout with a pair of touchdowns after the Bengals carved out a 33-0 lead. Oakland totaled 183 yards through the air and McGloin was sacked twice.
KEY STAT
25.0 – Oakland’s third down success rate. The Raiders failed to move the ball partly because they couldn’t extend their drives. The Raiders converted just three third downs and gained 246 yards on 61 plays.
BETTING ANGLE
It will end up being a long week for the Ravens, who flew to the Bay Area for Sunday’s game with Oakland following last week’s loss to the Broncos. Apparently coach John Harbaugh figured it would be easier to stay out west rather than to fly back home. Baltimore’s schedule had them in Denver last week and Oakland this week. So, rather than return to Maryland from Colorado with the prospect of another long flight back to the West Coast a few days later, Harbaugh and the Ravens front office decided to bring the team to San Jose and set up camp at San Jose State for a week before bussing to Oakland. We’ll see how that works out.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The black hole belongs in Oakland because that’s exactly what the Raiders are. So many expectations heading into this season and the Raiders pissed down their leg in the opener. It was so bad the fans were booing – by halftime. Of course it’s only one game, but it’s been only one game for the past 12 years. The Ravens were all over Manning last week and there’s no reason to think the defense can’t be as dominant this week against a team that’s not as good. Of course the loss of Suggs will hurt Baltimore, but the bodies just get plugged into position and the Ravens roll along. Look for Flacco and the Ravens to have more success than they did last week and put enough points on the board for the win.
Baltimore 28, Oakland 16
Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders is slated for Sunday, September 20, 2015, at 4:05 p.m. ET at the O.co Coliseum. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
