Getty Oakland Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
In what should be one of the more underrated and intriguing matchups of the week, the Oakland Raiders host the red hot Tennessee Titans Sunday afternoon.
The Raiders will need a win to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Oakland is a game behind Tennessee entering this one, and a loss would set them an additional game back, and would also give the Titans the tie-breaker advantage. The Titans are 3-3 on the road, while the Raiders are 5-1 at home. Who will have the edge in this one? Here’s our game preview followed by trends and our prediction.
Titans (7-5)
What a difference Ryan Tannehill has made. After taking over for former starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, Tannehill has made Tennessee look like a different team while making them contenders again. The Titans have won three in a row, and they’re still very much alive in the Wild Card hunt.
Tennessee is averaging 23 points a game, but their running attack, led by Derrick Henry, has been solid this season. Henry is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and he has over 1,100 yards and 11 rushing scores this year.
On defense, the Titans are surrendering just over 19 points a game, and they have been a sneakily reliable top 10 unit. They’re allowing 102 yards a game on the ground, so if Raiders’ running back Josh Jacobs isn’t 100%, the Raiders could be in for a long afternoon.
Raiders (6-6)
The Raiders have lost two in a row, and they could see one of their top offensive weapons limited–or even sidelined–in this game. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs has been dealing with a shoulder injury, and he is listed as questionable for this game. Jacobs will likely play, but his status is definitely something to keep an eye on.
On defense, Oakland has been a disappointment this season. They’re giving up 27 points per game, and they’ve been simply bad at defending the pass, allowing 258.2 yards per contest. If they don’t make Tannehill uncomfortable, they could see their playoff chances disappear.
Trends, Pick and Predictions:
The following numbers and trends are all courtesy of Odds Shark.
Spread: Raiders +3
Over/Under: 47.5
Odds Shark currently have the Raiders projected to win by a ridiculously close margin: 24.5-24.2, with the Raiders covering the spread and the total score going over.
Some relevant trends surrounding the game:
- Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tennessee’s last 6 games.
- The Titans are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games.
- Tennessee are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games is Oakland.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland’s last 6 games.
- The Raiders are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home.
- Oakland is 13-3 SU in their last 16 games when playing at home against Tennessee.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland’s last 5 games against an opponent in the AFC conference.
The Raiders have lost just once at home this season–and this is a must-win for them. We’re with Odds Shark all the way here. Derek Carr and company should be able to pull one out in a back-and-forth game that Oakland should win.
Final Prediction: Oakland 27, Tennessee 24