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The Oakland Raiders were not very competitive last season when they lost star quarterback Derek Carr. Can they be better in 2017? Carr won’t play in the team’s Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens, which vastly shifts the win expectation for Oakland. The Raiders would have been solid favorites with Carr but now must try to scratch out the victory with E.J. Manuel under center.
Baltimore’s offense has been putrid the past two weeks and the team has to figure some things out or else it will start falling out of the playoff chase. The Ravens catch a break in this game and would love to take advantage by dominating on defense to grab the road win.
This contest in Week 5 of the regular season will go down Sunday, October 8, 2017, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Oakland Coliseum.
Odds Analysis
The odds are still in flux because of Oakland’s quarterback situation. Now that there is some clarity that Carr is definitely going to miss the game, the spread should come in soon. Oakland may be the favorite still but it will be by much less than with Carr at quarterback.
The scoring total could be really, really low. The Ravens cannot score right now and a normally-high-powered Raiders offense will be significantly altered with Manuel at the helm.
Injury Report
Derek Carr — The Raiders quarterback suffered a big hit in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos and left in the third quarter. He is expected to miss two-to-six weeks with a transverse process fracture in his back. Oakland is in a really tough division and must find a way to stay afloat without Carr starting. Check his timetable closely, as some reports suggest he could get back after only sitting one game.
Michael Crabtree — The Raiders receiver missed Sunday’s game against Denver with a chest injury. He was hurt during the Raiders loss to the Redskins on September 24th. Crabtree and Amari Cooper are the team’s star pass-catches, and Oakland could use as many offensive weapons as possible in this one.
Brandon Williams -- The Ravens’ defensive tackle is still dealing with a foot injury that has kept him out of the past two games. He is a fantastic run-stuffer and could be a critical piece against a Raiders team that’s going to want to get the ground game going.
Player To Watch
E.J. Manuel -- The Raiders will try to lean on standout running back Marshawn Lynch as much as possible, but if they fall behind, Manuel will be put on center stage. Oakland will do as many low-risk passes as possible, but in obvious passing situations he must not make too many big mistakes.
The Ravens’ defense has been dominant at times this season, and if they can create several turnovers, a road win is a definite possibility. Manuel has a career record of 6-11 in 17 starts. He has a passer rating of 76.9 and hasn’t been a regular starter for several years.
He isn’t a great quarterback but the Raiders hope he can at least be serviceable in this contest.
Free ATS Pick
This one is tough to peg because there is no telling how the Raiders will play without Carr. Wait for the spread to make a choice, but the Ravens seem like the right call despite their struggles. They have a solid defense which has a chance to dominate this game.
Its offense needs to find a rhythm and quarterback Joe Flacco must really improve after some poor outings on the season. If that happens, Baltimore should be able to claim this road victory with Carr sidelined.
NFL Odds: Ravens 21, Raiders 13
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