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Raiders Bills Predictions & NFL Odds

Written September 18, 2008 by Jack Jones

Raider Nation is currently in disarray as Oakland heads to Buffalo this weekend to take on the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. Buffalo has been red hot to start the season and will be more than enough for Oakland to handle with their play on the field, but the Raiders have the off-field distractions of owner Al Davis on a mission to make Lane Kiffin’s first NFL coaching job a short one. Currently, the odds makers at Sportsbook.com have the Bills listed as 9.5-point favorites with the total set at 36.5.

It all started this offseason when Kiffin refused to sign a letter of resignation that Davis had draft and sent over to his coach. It seemed like the two were constantly at odds from that point on, and the feud came to a peak when the Raiders lost their opener 41-14 to Denver on Monday Night Football. There were reports that Kiffin was going to be fired after that game, but he was around for the team’s 23-8 win over the Kansas City Chiefs last week. It’s tough to fire a coach after he beats an arch rival, but Kiffin isn’t in the clear yet. It seems like a loss this week could end Kiffin’s time with the Raiders after just 19 games. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a 33-year-old coach who is trying to worry about beating a talented Buffalo team.

The Bills have gotten their season started off with a home win over Seattle and then going on the road to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team hasn’t started out 3-0 since the 1992 season, which saw team legends like Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas leading an explosive offense.

While quarterback Trent Edwards is no Jim Kelly, his play early in the season has sure resembled him. Edwards is fourth in the conference with a 107.7 QB rating and has passed for 454 yards. He’s been pin point accurate with his throws, completing 71% of his passes without being picked off once.

The team’s two wins are even more surprising when you see how second-year running back Marshawn Lynch hasn’t even really gotten going yet. He has a touchdown in both games, but hasn’t broken the 100-yard barrier as of yet and has only averaged 3.6 yards per carry. This was after he carried the offense as a rookie, rushing for 1,119 yards. If you think he can get back on track and help the Bills to cover the 9.5 point spread, bet the game at Sportsbook.com and get a 100% bonus on your first winning wager.

Oakland is going to have to depend on their rookie running back Darren McFadden to keep up the heavy lifting if they want to stay in this game. Last week against the Chiefs McFadden had 164 yards and a touchdown on just 21 totes. Things are going to be a little bit more difficult against the Bills than they were against Kansas City, as Buffalo has held opposing teams to just 151 total rushing yards and a 3.6 ypc average.

One of the reasons the Bills are so much better against the run this year has been the acquisition of Marcus Stroud. The All-Pro defensive tackle had two sacks and got a piece of a pass that was intercepted when helping Buffalo beat his former team in Week 2.

That means that more pressure is going to be put on JaMarcus Russell to make big plays this week. The second-year quarterback has not looked good so far this season. Against the Chiefs he was 6-for-17 for just 55 yards and in the opener he did virtually nothing until the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter. If you think Russell will get back on track, bet the Oakland +9.5 spread at BetUS and get up to 135% in signup bonuses.

Football Score Predictions: Bills 24, Raiders 14

See what NFL picks our expert handicappers have this weekend, or check out the rest of the NFL lines on this week’s games!

Buffalo Rumblings takes a look at the Bills Raiders matchups in recent years with a focus on the series history.

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