The Seattle Seahawks are one of the top Super Bowl contenders for 2016, a familiar spot as the team has been among the NFL elite over the past several seasons. The players that have put them there will all be on the sideline, though, as the team’s reserves will aim to defeat the Oakland Raiders’ backups in Week 4 of the preseason.
This Week 4 preseason matchup will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2016, at 10 p.m. ET on NFL Network at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seahawks +1.5
Raiders -1.5
Over/Under 38.5
Odds Analysis
The Raiders are the home team and therefore have the slight advantage. They have a pair of young running backs who have made a strong impression in DeAndre Washington and George Atkinson III, and if they play in this one it could help tip the scales.
Neither team has great backup quarterback options so this one could come down to a big play or two. Since the talent level seems pretty even on each side, bettors are understandably backing the underdog Seahawks.
Quarterback Rotation
Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr has looked good this preseason and is expected to sit this one out in order to be rested and injury-free entering the regular season.
Backup quarterback Matt McGloin was 15-of-29 for 114 yards with two touchdowns and an interception over the first three preseason games. It remains to be seen how much he plays in this one, if at all.
This game could be a good opportunity for draft pick Connor Cook. He was 16-of-26 for 86 yards with a pair of interceptions in the first part of the exhibition slate and will aim to improve on those numbers.
Cook is not in a position to get playing time in the regular season, so this could be his last time seeing the field for a long while.
The Seahawks will of course have Russell Wilson sit out. He is 24-of-38 for 303 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and has elevated himself to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. There is no reason to risk anything by playing him.
Seattle has some unproven backups. Trevone Boykin has been pretty good in the preseason, completing 30-of-56 passes for 346 yards with a touchdown and an interception. If he plays in this one, he could perform well.
Jake Heaps is battling to remain on the team. If he makes it through the first cut, Heaps could see extensive action in this contest. He is just 4-of-13 for 37 yards in the preseason.
Coaching History
Raiders coach Jack del Rio is 23-20 in his preseason career. He hasn’t finished over .500 since 2008.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is 17-10 as a preseason coach. He had back-to-back undefeated preseasons in 2012 and 2013 but has gone 2-2 the past two seasons. Carroll would finish with two wins for a third straight preseason with a loss.
Free ATS Pick
Carroll has a nice preseason track record and as this is the fourth preseason game, there doesn’t seem to be an appreciable difference between these teams. If Cook can play well it will give the Raiders an advantage, but Trevone Boykin is an undrafted guy who has been better for the Seahawks.
When the game is a toss-up, taking the points is the easy call. Even though the Raiders are at home, the small points cushion is enough to take Seattle.
NFL Odds: Raiders 21, Seahawks 20
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone for this Week 4 preseason matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders on Thursday, September 1, 2016, at 10 p.m. ET at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now!
