Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Raiders NFL Betting Lines

The 2-5 Oakland Raiders are surprisingly still in the AFC West hunt and realize that this game against Atlanta is a must win game. The Atlanta Falcons vs Oakland Raiders match-up will feature to of the NFL’s top young talents at QB doing battle. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has proven his worth as the #3 overall pick by playing with confidence and showing excellent leadership. The Raiders 23-year old franchise QB JaMarcus Russell has flashed big-play capability but has been more inconsistent than Ryan. This will be a big game for former Atlanta CB DeAngelo Hall who will try to come up big against the team that tossed him away like trash. The NFL betting odds for the Atlanta Falcons vs Oakland Raiders match-up is Oakland -2.5 to -3.

The Atlanta Falcons have gotten a couple of ordinary performances from star RB Michael Turner (5’10″ 245 4.40 40-speed) but rookie QB Matt Ryan has stepped up. Ryan (79.7 passer rating) has excellent intangibles and has the ability to look downfield while under pressure. WR Roddy White (6’0″ 208 4.40 40-speed) has become a dangerous weapon for Ryan to attack defenses with. The Falcons wideouts will target former teammate DeAngelo Hall who has been playing mediocre. The Falcons have been banged up on the O-line but Turner is optimistic that the running game will get it’s dynamite back. “It’s not a concern,” Turner insisted. “The running game is something we believe in. We’ve just got to execute better.” Impressive first year head coach Mike Smith believes the whole offense needs to have better field vision.”There were plays out there,” he said. “There always are. A cut here, a missed hole there. There were some plays where we didn’t have the vision we need to have, or maybe we didn’t get a downfield block from a wide receiver. There are always a number of things that constitute why a play is not effective or successful.” The Raiders run defense has been awful in recent weeks and their high-priced big men up front are underachieving. The Raiders have also shown a soft side when they play physical backs like Atlanta’s 245 Lb. Michael Turner. The NFL betting odds OVER\UNDER for the Atlanta Falcons vs Oakland Raiders game is at 41.5 to 42.0 points.

Darren McFadden’s balky toe has been the discussion surrounding this game, and whether or not the stud rookie will play. McFadden had this to say about his chances of being on the field Sunday.”I have high hopes,” he said. “I always have high hopes of playing. But as far as trying anything, we’ll just see as the week goes on how it feels.”"It’s very frustrating,” he said. “You get a chance out there in Kansas City, you feel like, ‘Hey, I can play in this league. I can run with the other guys.’ Then you come back and you been dealing with this for the last five or six weeks, it’s something that, it just wears you down. At the same time, you have to keep pushing through it and try to block it out.” If McFadden can’t go, his backup Justin Fargas (6’1″ 220 4.40 40-speed) is an excellent backup. One key for Oakland against Atlanta’s 15th ranked defense will be to score early. The Raiders have played from behind almost the entire season putting pressure on inexperienced 2nd year QB JaMarcus Russell. Last week the Raiders were throttled in the first half of there 14-27 loss in Philadelphia. “The first half, we just got our tails whipped at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” Oakland coach Tom Cable said. “There’s really no other way to put it.” Russell (60 MPH pass-speed = 100 MPH fastball) is a special talent that has yet to put his skills together. Fargas and backup RB Michael Bush (6’1″ 245 4.40 40-speed) will attack a Falcons run defense that was hit for 167 yards last week against Brian Westbrook. The NFL betting odds MONEYLINE for the Atlanta Falcons vs Oakland Raiders game is Oakland -160 to -190.

Get help beating the NFL lines this weekend with a package of NFL expert picks from our top handicappers. They will help you win money this weekend with your NFL betting.

Get free NFL picks each week here at Locksmith Sports!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers NFL Lines & Betting
• Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons NFL Betting Lines & Predictions
• Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons NFL Betting Lines & Picks
• Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos NFL Betting Lines & Picks
• Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders NFL Betting Lines & Picks

Comments