Detroit Lions vs. Oakland Raiders
Friday, 8/15/14, 10:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Oakland PK
Current Betting Line: Oakland -2.5
Opening Total: 39
Current Total: 39.5
Odds Courtesy of 5Dimes
Detroit picked up a 13-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns as 1.5-point home underdogs in their preseason opener last week, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NFL betting lines. The Lions are unsure if wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be available for this affair, as he practices Monday but sat out Saturday’s exhibition win. During the spring, quarterback Matthew Stafford admitted there was a lot to pick up in the new offensive system, but it’s expected to make him improve upon his decision-making and efficiency.
The Lions are really taking to head coach Jim Caldwell, who replaced Jim Schwartz on the sidelines after spending the last few years in Baltimore. Detroit is also happy with the effort its received from defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, which could lead to having one of the more dominant lines in the entire league. The secondary is questionable, with a real lack of depth, which may lead to a number of high-scoring games down the road.
Oakland was handed a 10-6 defeat by the Minnesota Vikings as three-point road underdogs in its opener, while going well UNDER the betting total of 38. Matt Schaub made his Raiders debut and played three series under center—finishing 3 of 7 for 21 yards. Numerous pro football experts are expecting rookie Derek Carr to push Schaub in the later stages of 2014, especially since the former Fresno State star threw for 74 yards on 10 of 16 passes in his first go around at this level.
The Raiders’ first-team defense will need to play at a higher level, as they allowed the Vikings to put together a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on their first possession. Oakland also continues to commit too many penalties, as it drew 13 flags for 94 yards—something that third-year head coach Dennis Allen must deal with during training camp. Offensively, the team hopes to get running back Darren McFadden some more touches before the regular-season opener, as he carried the ball only once for 23 yards before calling it a night in Minneapolis.
Sports bettors will likely back the Raiders due to their competition under center, which will lead to some aggressive play calling throughout the affair.
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