Even though the Oakland Raiders have gotten on the board and have one win on the season, they are still among the worst teams in the NFL. This week, they face the biggest NFL betting line of the season as they head to New York as a 16-point underdog.
To say that the Raiders are a dysfunctional mess right now would be an understatement. Not only has quarterback JaMarcus Russell regressed to the point where the former first overall pick might not even be worth starting, the team is facing a potential future without head coach Tom Cable.
People making their NFL picks early in the week hopped on the New York Giants as the line opened at a -13 and quickly climbed three points. Part of the reason for that was because it looks like there finally might be some news – or even an arrest – from the incident where head coach Tom Cable allegedly punched an assistant. The charges are for felony assault, which means that Cable might not only be suspended by the league but he could be arrested.
The Raiders are a complete disaster right now as they head to The Giant Stadium and 16 points is not enough to take them.
Oakland Raiders @ New York Giants
Sportsbook: Giants -16
The Raiders are a very bad team right now and there is a laundry list of problems without any foreseeable solutions.
On offense, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who was supposed to build on a good performance last December, has regressed. His quarterback rating has a quarterback rating of 42.4 through four games this year with one touchdown and four interceptions. His completion percentage is 39.8%. At this point, it might be better for the Raiders to spike the ball on every play.
But Russell isn’t the only bust on this offense. Running back Darren McFadden has shown flashes of talent but he can get his motor going this year. McFadden has 147 yards rushing through four weeks with one touchdown and four fumbles on 47 carries.
On top of that, this year’s first-round pick, Darrius Heyward-Bey has nothing to prove his Top 10 worth.
With all of these problems, the Raiders now head to New York for the second of back-to-back road games against what appears to be the best team in the NFL right now. The Raiders lost by more than 16 in Houston last week and with the entire team struggling right now, they’ll lose by more than 16 again in New York.
Sports Picks: Giants -16
