Raiders-Browns.
Time: 4:25 ET
Spread: CLE -7
Total: 43.5

The Oakland Raiders expected it to be tough, and it has been, perhaps just as awful as anticipated and more so. The Raiders will try to get its first win of the season after losing six straight against a 3-3 Cleveland Browns team hoping to improve to 3-1 at home. NFL oddsmakers are setting the line 7-points in favor of the Browns.

While many Browns fans already want the keys handed to rookie Johnny Manziel, the Raiders already shoveled the responsibility to rookie Derek Carr. The Raiders have lost 12 straight going into this game, and lost 24-6 last week to a winless Jacksonville team.

Browns coach Mike Pettine is not ready to go to Manziel yet, and he said that “if the situation this week calls for him (Manziel)…then that will be the case.” As to what type of situation that is, is anyone’s guess, but the Browns are trying to remain competitive with Brian Hoyer taking the snaps.

The loss of Alex Mack is going to make it more difficult for Ben Tate and Isaiah Crowell to run the ball. The Browns had a season-low 69 yards in the loss and went 4-of-17 on third down. If that isn’t crippling, it’s hard to imagine what is. And yet, despite these voids in the Browns offense, the Raiders are still seven point underdogs in NFL odds.

Carr has had a rough going, ranking 29th among QBs with qualifying attempts for passer rating (80.9). The Raiders have scored a league low 92 points and the defense allows 26.3 points per game. Doing the math, that means a lot of losing, and losing badly.

If the Raiders Darren McFadden is ever going to have a breakout game, it needs to come this week. He’s averaged just 3.8 yards per carry on the season, but the Browns surrender 155 yards per game to the rush. McFadden should be drooling at this opportunity to assert his once high-regarded status, while Carr has to take advantage of any holes that open up, too, as he has been good this year on the run in limited attempts.