Raiders Bills Odds

Written by Jack Jones

Both the Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders are coming off of impressive road wins in Week 1. The Bills came up with the most shocking result, dominating the Kansas City Chiefs 41-7 at Arrowhead Stadium to really make a statement. The Raiders topped Denver 23-20 in the night cap of a double-header on Monday Night Football, improving to 7-0 against AFC West opponents over the past two seasons. These teams will meet in Buffalo at 1:00 EST Sunday afternoon.

Odds makers have installed the Bills as 4-point home favorites with a total set of 42.5 points.

Buffalo

Coming off a 4-12 season in 2010, the Bills handed the Chiefs their worst opening loss in team history last week. Buffalo is off to a good start to try to end a run of six straight non-winning seasons. They recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff, and Kansas City was never able to recover. Ryan Fitzpatrick led the way offensively, completing 17 of 25 passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. For the game, the Bills outgained the Chiefs 364-213 behind a dominant effort on both sides of the ball. They also forced three turnovers, committing only one on an interception from backup QB Brad Smith.

Fred Jackson continues to prove that he’s one of the most underrated running backs in the league. Jackson rushed for 112 yards on only 20 carries. C.J. Spiller also chipped in a 9-yard touchdown run on the final scoring play of the game in the fourth quarter. Journeyman TE Scott Chandler only had one catch in 14 career games coming in, but finished with five receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns for the Bills. Steve Johnson picked up right where he left off last year, catching four balls for 66 yards and a score.

Oakland

The Raiders became the first team in NFL history to go unbeaten in their division and not make the playoffs in 2010. Oakland would love to go unbeaten in their division again this season, and their off to a good start after beating Denver 23-20 at Mile High Stadium on Monday. They took advantage of three Broncos turnovers, which were turned directly into 13 points. Sebastian Janikowski tied an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal on the final play of the half, and that proved to be the difference in the game. That came after he nailed a 70-yarder in pregame warm ups. It was their fourth straight win in Denver, giving new head coach Hue Jackson a victory in his debut.

The Raiders rushed for 190 yards for the game, and a 12-yard run by Michael Bush for a first down sealed the victory late. Darren McFadden led the way with 22 rushes for 150 yards, including a 47-yarder that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by QB Jason Cambell. The Raiders signal-caller didn’t have to do much in this one, completing 13 of 22 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Darrius Heyward-Bey led all Oakland receivers with four receptions for 44 yards. Fullback Marcell Reece had three grabs for 23 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown pass from Campbell. Oakland’s defensive line was dominant all game, sacking Orton five times. The Raiders committed 15 penalties for 131 yards, and will need to be much more disciplined if they want to beat the Bills Sunday.

Betting Trends

These teams last met in 2008 in Buffalo, with the Bills scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to steal a 24-23 victory. Both teams have undergone huge overhauls since that contest. Bush ran for 55 yards on 14 carries, while McFadden chipped in 42 yards on 14 carries for the Raiders. The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in this series.

Oakland enters this one on a 9-4 ATS run in their last 13 games overall, including a 6-2 ATS mark in their last 8 roadies. The Bills have gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 as a favorite, and 7-2 ATS in their last 9 vs. AFC opponents. Buffalo is just 8-22-2 ATS in their last 32 home games vs. a team with a winning road record, though.

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Additional Resources:

Vernon Croy – Another detailed preview of this game.

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