Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Sunday, December 26, 2010, 4:05 pm EST, TV: CBS
Opening Line: Colts -3
Current Line: Colts -3
Opening Total: 47
Current Total: 47
Money Line: Colts -140 / Raiders +120
The Oakland Raiders (7-7) still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, but what they have already accomplished this season should not be understated. The Raiders have gone 5-0 against AFC West opponents and will try to derail the postseason hopes of the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) when they square off on Sunday.
The Colts (-3) are coming off an important 34-24 home win against Jacksonville last week, but it did not come without a price. Wide receiver Austin Collie was placed on Injured Reserve following his second concussion of the season, which occurred after he had made two touchdown catches in the first half. They are still tied with the Jaguars atop the AFC South but would win the tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same record.
Indy did get some promising news this week though, as running back Joseph Addai is expected to return from a shoulder injury to help bolster the team’s rushing attack. Backup Donald Brown turned in his best performance of the season last week against the Jaguars, totaling 129 rushing yards on 14 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown.
Oakland needs Kansas City and San Diego to falter down the stretch to make the postseason, but it has still been a successful season nonetheless. The Raiders are 4-1 in their last five home games both straight-up and against the spread, with the OVER going 4-1. They are averaging nearly 33 points in their past three due mostly to their powerful running game.
Running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush combined for 143 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns for the Raiders in a 39-23 rout of Denver at home last week while rookie wide receiver Jacoby Ford added a 71-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. As a team, Oakland has averaged nearly 223 rushing yards per game in their last three, which has helped take pressure off quarterback Jason Campbell.
Campbell threw for 238 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Broncos after failing to throw a pick in the previous two games. He will not be looking to get into a shootout with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who has gone two games without throwing an interception after tossing 11 in his previous three games.
The Raiders are 5-1 against the spread in the last six meetings with Indianapolis dating back to 1991, with the UNDER cashing in the past three games between the teams. The OVER is 4-0-1 in the last five games for the Colts overall and 3-1 in Oakland’s past four.
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