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The Raiders vs. Titans odds had Oakland as a +6 road underdog with a depleted back field against Tennessee. Odds were available at Sportsbook.com here. Be sure to request your FREE $100 CASH when opening an online betting account.
The post JaMarcus Russell era officially begins this Sunday as the Oakland Raiders visit the Tennessee Titans. While Raider fans are ecstatic that the former #1 pick and bust has moved on, another Raider backfield player has Oakland faithful concerned. Running back Michael Bush had surgery on his left thumb August 31 and the hand is still heavily taped. Considering Bush (team-high 589 rush yds in 2009) carries the ball primarily with his left hand, it is possible Bush will not play Sunday.
If that is the case, Darren McFadden will get the full workload of carries. The third-year pro has yet to live up to his 4th-overall-pick hype coming out of Arkansas in 2008. To be fair, McFadden has only received 15 or more carries in two career games. In Week 2 of his rookie season at Kansas City, McFadden rushed for 164 yards on 21 carries (7.8 YPC). He also rushed 17 times for 68 yards (4.0 YPC) in last season’s opener against San Diego.
This past success shows that McFadden is capable of a big game. Tennessee does not have an elite defense, but its run defense was solid last year (106.9 YPG, tied for 11th in NFL).
Oakland’s air attack will also be depleted in Week 1. Starting WR Chaz Schillens will miss at least two weeks due to knee surgery. Newly-acquired QB Jason Campbell is also banged up with recent wrist and stinger injuries, but he will still be able to start on Sunday.
Some important Raiders vs. Titans odds trends: Despite the injury news, Oakland has an important trend working in its favor: Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is 25-38 ATS (-16.8 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points as the coach of TENNESSEE. The average score was TENNESSEE 22.6, OPPONENT 18.8 - (Rating = 0*).
NFL betting is here sports fans! Head over to Sportsbook.com to place your wagers, then be sure to participate in the $80,000 Survivor Pool and the $100,000 Perfect Parlay.
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Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
