Raiders at Titans: Preview, prediction, odds and pick
By Brad Weiss
The Oakland Raiders will hit the road in Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season on Sunday, as they travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans.
In a game that could be a possible playoff preview, the Oakland Raiders will head to Tennessee to take on the Titans on Sunday. Both teams come into the game with high expectations, as both could be headed towards a division title. This will be a matchup to keep an eye on in Week 1, as it will feature two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.
For the Oakland Raiders, the offense revolves around their quarterback, as Derek Carr has proven to be one of the elite since coming into the league. He has two star wide receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, and they brought in tight end Jared Cook this offseason. The Raiders were able to bring Marshawn Lynch out of retirement this offseason as well, as he joins their sixth-ranked rushing attack from a year ago.
While the Houston Texans have run the AFC South in recent years, the Tennessee Titans have slowly been building up their franchise. The team drafted Marcus Mariota No. 2 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he has been a godsend every since. This offseason, the Titans went out and loaded the offense up with talent, so he should be able to take another step forward in his development in 2017.
The defense is going to decide this game, as both teams struggle to get stops at time. The Raiders defense looked really bad during the preseason, and if they cannot get it figured out in the secondary, Mariota should have a field day. Carr is also going to be able to exploit the Titans secondary, so the team with the ball at the end of this one will likely be the winner.
Odds
Line: Oakland (+2.0)
Over/Under: 50.5
The over might be reached in this one, as both teams have great offensive units. Despite winning 12 games last season, the Raiders are an underdog in Week 1, though they look like the smart pick in this one. This line and over/under has changed a bit over the past week or so, so head on over to sportsbookreview.com for any changes up until kickoff.
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Prediction
Both Carr and Mariota are good fantasy options in this one, as they will likely both go for over 300 yards passing. It will be interesting to see how Lynch looks after a year off, but he looked strong during the preseason. Oakland and Tennessee will be looking to make a statement early, though the Raiders should be able to leave town with the victory.
Final Score: Raiders 30, Titans 28