Was it really all that much of a surprise that the Oakland Raiders made a coaching change during the season? Many people who wager against the NFL betting odds at Bet Any Sports were suspecting that right along. But maybe they weren’t looking for it only four games into the season. But the way the Raiders played in London against the Miami Dolphins kind of warranted it. They stumbled all over themselves on the way to a 38-14 defeat, and so the trigger was pulled on Dennis Allen, with offensive coordinator Tony Sparano taking his place. Sparano is the eighth Oakland head coach since the 2003 season.
The San Diego Chargers lost a heart-breaker in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals (18-17). Since then they have reeled off four straight victories, in the process becoming the only team in the league to have covered all five games against the football pointspread. They are moving like a well-oiled machine under head coach Mike McCoy and quarterback Philip Rivers, who has 12 touchdown passes on the season against only two interceptions in 165 attempts.
The Raiders will play host to the Chargers at the Coliseum in Oakland at 4:05 PM ET.
In the NFL football betting odds that have been posted on this game at Bet Any Sports, the Chargers are favored by a full touchdown:
NFL betting odds Courtesy Of BetAnySports USA Online Sportsbooks
San Diego Chargers -7 (-120)
Oakland Raiders +7 (+100)
Over 44 Points -110
Under 44 Points -110
Rookie quarterback Derek Carr was injured in the game against Miami, but those injuries were not too serious, and he is on track to start another game. Thus far he is 63% accurate, with four touchdowns and four interceptions, and has been sacked only three times against 133 attempts. But the problem with Carr, a second-round draft choice at a Fresno State, is that he has a very difficult time advancing the ball down the field, as he averages only 5.5 yards per attempt. Conversely, Rivers is averaging over three yards more than Carr in that category (8.7).
With Sparano now at the helm, we are not sure Bet Any Sports NFL Sportsbooks customers can expect that much to change. The former head coach of the Miami Dolphins is a rather conservative type, and would rather establish a rushing game. Unfortunately, this team is not been able to generate much on the ground either. Darren McFadden has averages 3.4 yards a pop, and Maurice Jones-Drew has 12 yards and eleven carries. Consequently, the Raiders have averaged only 26 minutes of possession time, and that puts a lot of strain on the defense.
So, for that matter, does the San Diego offense. And they are doing it without a consistent running game themselves. Of course, Rivers, who doesn’t have a rocket arm, is one of the most resourceful quarterbacks in the league, and he is able to spread it around very evenly; in fact his top four receivers all have between 259 and 276 yards. THAT’S balance.
It is also kind of interesting that while the Raiders’ defense has been on the field 34 minutes a game, San Diego’s offense holds a 34-26 advantage in minutes as far as possession time is concerned. They may have found someone to carry the roc in pursuit of supporting that. Brandon Oliver, an undrafted rookie, had 114 yards on the ground last week. We will see if that was a fluke or not.
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