The New England Patriots have risen to the top of the AFC, which is a surprise to exactly no one. They will aim to keep pushing for the top seed in the conference when they hit the road for a matchup with the Oakland Raiders.
Oakland was hoping to be a contender this season after a nice 2016 but it has failed to come together. The Raiders are nearly out of playoff contention and could badly use a win in this contest, but it won’t be easy against the defending Super Bowl champions.
The Raiders do get the advantage of playing at home, as a road game would probably be impossible to win against New England.
This matchup in Week 11 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, November 19, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Oakland Alameda Coliseum.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New England Patriots -6.5
Oakland Raiders +6.5
Over/Under 52
Odds Analysis
The Patriots are nearly touchdown favorites despite playing away from home. They have been impressive on the road this year and have shown through the years that they can win anywhere. The spread is intriguing because a win by a touchdown would result in a cover for New England. If the line moves up a half-point it makes it less of a enticing bet.
The scoring total is pretty high, as most Patriots games tend to be
Injury Report
Cassius Marsh — The Patriots’ defensive end is currently listed as questionable with a shoulder injury after missing Week 10. The 25-year-old has 14 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble this season for New England. The team’s defense has been its weak point and could use as much good health as possible.
Chris Hogan — The New England wide receiver missed Sunday’s game against Denver with a shoulder injury. Hogan had a great start to the season, but has cooled off in recent weeks. He suffered the injury in Week 8 against San Diego and there is no timetable yet for his return.
Marcus Cannon —The Patriots’ starting right tackle suffered an ankle injury in Week 8 against the Chargers and, even with the bye week in Week 9, was forced to sit out last week against the Broncos. It’s not yet known if he’ll back this week against the Raiders, but LaAdrian Waddle has done well in his relief.
Gareon Conley — The Raiders’ rookie cornerback was placed on injured reserve this week. Oakland’s first round pick has been dealing with a shin injury all season long causing him to miss seven games this year before eventually being placed on IR this week.
Player To Watch
Tom Brady -- The ageless signal-caller continues to perform at a Pro Bowl level. Brady, who is 40 years old now, has thrown for 2,807 yards with 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions on the season. Everyone is waiting for Brady to slow down and he just continues to dominate.
That’s not a good sign for a Raiders defense which has had trouble slowing down opponents this year. New England lost slot receiver Julian Edelman to a torn ACL in the preseason but the offense continues to hum along.
Free ATS Pick
The Raiders have some talented pieces and are still hanging around in the playoff hunt, but have to start showing some higher upside. This is too tough of a matchup. Oakland quarterback Derek Carr is a solid player but he’s no Brady.
Take the Patriots to win in a shootout and cover the spread. Even though the scoring total is high, the choice is the “over” as there will be no shortage of explosive plays in this showdown. The Patriots will once again flex their muscle in this one against an AFC foe.
NFL Odds: Patriots 34, Raiders 24
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