Two of the more promising young quarterbacks in the NFL will face off in Week 3 of the preseason when the Tennessee Titans travel to face the Oakland Raiders. Marcus Mariota will get his final tune-up with the Titans while Derek Carr aims to get ready for the year while captaining Oakland. The Raiders have the more talented team overall and hope to push for a playoff spot this season. This is the dress rehearsal and they aim to impress the home crowd in NFL betting.
This Week 3 preseason matchup will be held on Saturday, August 27th, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tennessee Titans +3.5
Oakland Raiders -3.5
Over/Under 43.5
Odds Analysis
The Raiders get the standard field goal for the home field advantage and they are more talented than the Titans. Since this is the preseason that doesn’t mean a ton, but the half-point could be crucial if it comes down to a field goal.
These two teams will meet a month later in the regular season, facing off in Tennessee on September 25, which means neither team will likely give away much of anything in relation to a game plan in this one. Keep that in mind as it will be a watered down version of the real thing.
Quarterback Rotation
Marcus Mariota is still young and needs experience, so he will likely see a good amount of action for the Titans. Tennessee has some new receivers in their mix and recently traded away Dorial Green-Beckham, so Mariota will aim to find a rapport with his targets. Tight end Delanie Walker was one of his main weapons a year ago and could have a nice game.
The Titans’ backup now is Matt Cassel, who had one good season in New England but has otherwise had a pedestrian NFL career. He could see some action in this one after going 5-for-7 for 38 yards and an interception last time out against the Panthers. Alex Tanney is the third-string quarterback and he may also play in relief of Mariota.
Derek Carr could get the lion’s share of the snaps for the Raiders. He continued on an upward trajectory in 2015 in his second season and is on his way to becoming a bona fide star. Carr wasn’t a top-two pick like Mariota but has been impressive in the NFL.
The Raiders will then likely bring in Matt McGloin, who didn’t see much action last week against the Packers. Rookie Connor Cook should play extensively in the final preseason game but it’s unknown how much run he will get against the Titans.
Coaching History
Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has a 23-19 preseason record as a head coach. In his second year at the helm in Oakland, Del Rio has gone 1-1 this year after finishing the 2015 preseason at 1-3.
Mike Mularkey is also off to a 1-1 start this preseason and has a an overall preseason record of 7-7. After working as an assistant under Ken Whisenhunt last season in Tennessee, Mularkey beings his first season as head coach in 2016. This is his fourth season overall as a head coach in the league.
Free ATS Pick
The Raiders had a solid young nucleus to build around following the 2015 season, and it was led by Carr, Cooper and star defensive end Khalil Mack. They have since upgraded the defense heavily and hope to make waves in the 2016 regular season. This is the dress rehearsal and the team hopes to play well in front of its fans. The Titans hope to also be on the right track, although they seem to have further to go. The progression of Mariota is important, but this game won’t be super easy as the Tennessee offense is still a work in progress. Expect the Raiders to come away with the win, although the Titans could barely cover.
NFL Odds: Raiders 24, Titans 21
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