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NFL Week 1: Tennessee is Slight Betting Favorite vs. Oakland

NFL Week 1: Tennessee is Slight Betting Favorite vs. Oakland

Written by on September 7, 2017

NFL News and Rumors
One of the most intriguing matchups of NFL Week 1 is clearly Oakland at Tennessee, two rising teams in the AFC with two of the better young quarterbacks in the NFL in the Raiders’ Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota. Both suffered a broken leg in Week 16 last year but are healthy now. Oakland heads into Week 1 as the underdogs in the NFL odds, but can that turn around for them?

Tennessee at Oakland NFL Week 1 Odds, Preview & Pick

When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET Where: Nissan Stadium TV: CBS Radio: 95.7 The GAME  (Oakland) / WGFX FM 104.5 (Tennessee) Opening NFL Week 1 Lines: Titans -2.5 (50.5)

Weather Forecast

  • Clear: 23°C/74°F
  • Humidity: 48%
  • Precipitation: 0%
  • Wind: 8 mph NE
  • Cloud Cover: 4%
  • Type of Stadium: Open

NFL Week 1 Over/Under Picks and Winning Favorites

Why Bet On Oakland?

The Raiders will open the season at Tennessee for the fourth time since the Titans franchise moved from Houston to Tennessee (1997, 2003, 2010 and 2017). This is the 10th time overall that the Raiders have played the franchise in the season opener. This year will mark the third straight season that the Raiders have played the Titans at Nissan Stadium, with Oakland winning the 2015 matchup, 24-21, and the 2016 contest, 17-10. The two teams will have actually played four times over the last three seasons after Sunday, as they faced off in the preseason in 2016 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum as well. Oakland cornerback David Amerson has passed the concussion protocol, and will be active for Sunday’s opener against the Titans. It’s a bullet dodged for the Raiders, who have issues to spare at cornerback. Safety Obi Melifonwu (knee surgery) was placed on injured reserve. It’s unclear if Melifonwu will be a candidate for return. He could be activated in eight weeks.

How Has Derek Carr Done Against Marcus Mariota?

Carr is 2-0 in his professional career against Mariota – while at Fresno State, he did lose to Mariota and Oregon in 2012 – and whichever signal-caller can put together a better day will likely put their team in good position to win Sunday. Sebastian Janikowski’s contract impasse with the Raiders might not keep him out of Sunday’s season opener at Tennessee — but his back problems could. Head coach Jack Del Rio suggested the Raiders brought in three kickers for auditions earlier this week simply as “due diligence,” given uncertainty over Janikowski’s status. Del Rio also stopped well short of saying Janikowski will recover in time to kick against the Titans.

Why Bet On Tennessee?

Head Coach Mike Mularkey led his team to a six-win improvement in first year in charge as Tennessee finished 2016 with a 9-7 record. Behind Mariota, the Titans scored the most points in a season last year (389) since 2003. Mariota completed 276-of-451 passes for 3,426 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2016, as Tennessee’s offense ranked 11th in the NFL in total offense, third in rushing offense and first in red zone efficiency. Mariota had the regular season opener against the Raiders in mind all offseason, from the moment he had surgery on his broken right leg in December. “For sure. This is probably the last benchmark,” Mariota said. “It’s my thing. This is what I worked for all offseason to be prepared for, and I can’t wait. It’s been a long road and I look forward to just being out there and having fun.” Are the Titans a safe betting pick for NFL Week 1?

How Did Tennessee Do Last Year?

In 2016, the Titans boasted one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL, averaging 136.7 yards per game on the ground, and they’ll look to keep pounding the rock in 2017. In his first year with the Titans, RB DeMarco Murray led the AFC and ranked third in the NFL with 1,287 yards, while recording 12 total touchdowns. WR Rishard Matthews and TE Delanie Walker led the team in receptions with 65 apiece, while Matthews also led the team with 945 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Walker finished second with 800 receiving yards while posting a career-high seven touchdowns. Since 2014, Walker ranks third among NFL tight ends with 222 catches and fourth with 2,778 receiving yards. The addition of WRs Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor in the draft, and Eric Decker in free agency, should allow Walker to make even more plays. And with more weapons on the team’s offense, the defense won’t be able to focus on just stopping Walker. Davis isn’t expected to be on a snap count in the Titans’ opener, but will only be used in “specific situations.” He dealt with a hamstring injury all during camp. Led by OLB Brian Orakpo, the Titans finished tied for sixth in the league with 40 sacks in 2016, marking the first 40-sack season for the team since 2010. OLB Derrick Morgan finished close behind Orakpo with a career-high nine sacks.

Series History

  • Total Meetings: 49
  • First Meeting: September 11th, 1960. Kezar Stadium. San Francisco, California
  • Last Meeting: September 25th, 2016. Nissan Stadium. Nashville, Tennessee
  • All-Time Series: Oakland 29-20-0
  • Largest Margin of Victory: Tennessee 55-0 (1961)
  • Longest Win Streak: Oakland 7 (1966-1973)
  • Current Win Streak: Oakland 2 (2015-2016)

NFL Week 1 Betting Trends

  • Oakland is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
  • Oakland is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oakland’s last 11 games
  • Tennessee is 7-16-1 ATS in its last 24 games
  • Tennessee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tennessee’s last 13 games

Expert NFL Week 1 Prediction

This likely will come down to the wire, but give the points as Tennessee nearly rallied for the win last year.
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