Week 2 NFL Odds - Atlanta Falcons at the Oakland Raiders Preview

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The Oakland Raiders used a furious comeback to win a key road game over the Saints in their opener. Now they will aim to move to 2-0 with a home win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 of the regular season.

Oakland looks like a potential playoff team, and continuing to pull out toss-ups could greatly improve those odds. The Falcons showed some things offensively in their opener but couldn’t slow down Tampa Bay in a opening game loss. That seems like it could be the theme of this season, and the defense will get a good test in this matchup.

This matchup in Week 2 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at O.com Coliseum.

NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Falcons +4.5
Raiders -4.5
Over/Under 48

Odds Analysis

The Raiders are the favorites and also the team getting the majority of the wagers. The betting public likes this line, as Oakland is at home and seems like the more talented team from top to bottom.

The scoring total seems a bit low for a pair of offenses which showed its ability a week ago, and not surprisingly 89 percent of the bettors are grabbing the enticing “over.” That looks like the best bet currently.

Injury Report

Julio Jones -- The Falcons’ wideout is one of the top play-makers in the NFL, but he has been battling a bothersome ankle and tweaked it in the season-opening loss to the Buccaneers. He returned to the game but wasn’t his same dynamic self. If Jones is either out or less than 100 percent, it’s a humongous story as he is worth a point or two alone on the spread.

Mohamed Sanu -- Atlanta signed Sanu to take over as the No. 2 receiver in the offseason and he played well in the opener, but he also suffered an ankle injury in the opener. If Jones and Sanu are both slowed, it could spell real trouble for the Falcons.

Menelik Watson -- The Raiders’ right tackle injured his groin in the opener. It caused some musical chairs, as star linemen Donald Penn and Kelechi Osemele had to shift from their natural spots. The Raiders fared OK but hope Watson can return soon.

Matchup to Watch

Atlanta passing game vs. Raiders secondary -- Oakland made several moves to bolster its defensive backs group this offseason, but there was no fruit from that labor in the opener as Drew Brees carved them up. The offense bailed out the defense, but the Raiders know they must be balanced in order to have a successful season.

This is another good test, as Matt Ryan has the natural talent to be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. Like mentioned before, the Falcons have to hopes Jones and Sanu are available, because missing either of them, especially Jones, would really hurt the aerial attack.

Atlanta struggled to run the ball against Tampa Bay and isn’t great defensively. Its best chance at pulling the upset will be by moving the ball well through the air.

Free ATS Pick

The Falcons can keep this thing close if Jones is healthy and dominating. However, that seems like a question mark at this point. Without him at full speed, there are too many holes on this team.

Devonta Freeman struggled down the stretch last year and in the opener, and the lack of a running game would be worrisome. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and star wideout Amari Cooper hooked up early and often last week, and should lead the way again.

The Raiders are the choice to both win this game outright and cover the spread. The “over” is the no-brainer choice as points won’t be in short supply.

NFL Odds: Raiders 30, Falcons 24

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