NFL Betting: Raiders, Jets Face Key Home Contests in AFC This Sunday

Two AFC teams trending in different directions will look to earn key wins at a crucial point in their respective seasons this week, with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets each hosting teams that are below .500. While the Raiders look to build on last week’s win over the Houston Texans in their first home game since the passing of owner Al Davis, the Jets will look to avoid a fourth straight loss at home against the division rival Dolphins on NFL Monday Night Football.

Cleveland Browns @ Oakland Raiders (-6)

Sunday, 4:05 PM ET

The Raiders provided their fans with a memorable pay head comeback win a week ago, and return home looking to clinch one more with the chance to close on the San Diego Chargers for first in the AFC West. Oakland has channeled the traditional power running attack to start the season strong, with an average of 161.8 rushing yards per game good for the second-best mark in the NFL. If the Raiders are going to be a playoff team, they will need to be better on the defensive side of the ball, where they rank 22nd against the run and 29th against the pass. Cleveland comes in to this game off a bye week at .500 and looking to improve in several areas, but the potential for an upset here is slim with the Browns on the road for just the second sports betting time against an Oakland team looking to build some momentum. The Cleveland defense ranks fourth against the pass, but just 25th against the run with an average of 124.5 rushing yards against through their first four games.

NFL Betting Pick: Oakland Raiders - 6

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets (-7)

Monday, 8:35 PM ET

While the Raiders will look to build off a big win, the Jets are hoping that they can get back in the win column after losing all three games of a season-high three-game road trip. New York has looked awful at times over that span, and hope that a return to East Rutherford will help them to end their slide. The problems for the Jets have reportedly carried over in to the locker room where some of the offensive players are unhappy with the play calling of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, but a big win on the field should go a long way to ending all talk about pay per head tensions off the field. The seat isn’t nearly as hot for Schottenheimer at this point as it is Miami head coach Tony Sparano, who many consider fortunate to have kept his job through the bye week. Miami is winless through the first four games of the regular season and struggling on both sides of the ball. Dolphins’ fans are hoping that the extra week to prepare helps, but if it doesn’t then this could be the perfect game for the Jets to bounce back as Mark Sanchez and the offense looks to take off against Miami’s 31st ranked pass defense.

NFL Betting Picks: New York Jets - 7

NFL Betting: Rested Cowboys Try to Slow Down Patriots

Gambling Advisor blog betting players waiting for the sixth week of the NFL regular season to kick off, and they’ll be treated to a matchup of two of the most popular teams in the league as Dallas, coming off a bye, will head to New England to take on a team many are picking to win the Super Bowl.

Cowboys vs. Patriots Odds – Sunday, 4:15 PM ET

The Cowboys (2-2) could be 4-0 or 0-4, that is how wild they’ve been so far in 2011, and a lot of that is down to the play of Tony Romo. The Dallas pivot has (and continues to) played through broken ribs, and he has also thrown some costly late NFL betting picks to take his team out of the game. The secondary is improved, but Detroit still rolled over them in the second half of a 34-30 win just over a week ago. The talent is there, but the Cowboys are shooting themselves in the foot with mistakes and that is the reason while some price per head sports fans are hesitant to put their faith in Dallas when it comes to making Super Bowl picks.

The Patriots (4-1) put up 446 yards of offense on their rivals from New York in a 30-21 win over the Jets at home, and even though Tom Brady had huge numbers (24-of-33 for 321 yards, a touchdown and a pick), the story is a running game that is improving each and every week. The Patriots ran for 152 yards, including 136 yards from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who added a pair of scores as well. New England also took advantage of the Jets’ penalties (four first downs came from flags), and their defense also stepped up, holding New York to 255 yards.

Price per head odds should have the Patriots favored at home, and these two have met twice since 2003, with New England winning and covering the spread both times, and one of the games went over the posted total. This should be a high-scoring affair as both teams have shown the propensity to give up points, but it’s tough to bet against Brady and the New England offense, especially since they have a running game now. How do the Cowboys stop them? And if the game is close down the stretch, who are you more comfortable siding with, Brady or Romo? That is a no-brainer; Brady is, well, Tom Brady, and the New England defense, even though they give up a ton of yards, live off turnovers and that isn’t a good sign for Romo, who throws them at the worst times. Go with New England in your sports betting online picks.