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Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

chiefs raiders 91509 The Oakland Raiders head to Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday for a Week 2 AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. Both team’s enter this week’s contest off Week 1 defeats with the Chiefs going down 24-38 to Baltimore and the Raiders losing 20-24 to San Diego on Monday Night Football. NFL odds makers have given the home team the edge in this matchup, listing the Kansas City Chiefs as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 39.

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The Chiefs stayed right with the Baltimore Ravens for three-and-a-half quarters, but the Ravens were able to strike twice in the final minutes of the game to earn a double digit victory. The game was really not even as close as the score made it appear as the Chiefs were outgained by over 200 yards and possessed the football nearly 20 minutes less than the Ravens. Part of Kansas City’s offensive deficiency could be blamed on the injury of quarterback Matt Cassel. His sprain knee kept him from making his regular season debut for the Chiefs and it is not yet known if he will be ready to go this week. Brodie Croyle filled in, playing all but one series, and completing 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns – a pretty good effort all in all. But its tough to win when you’re going to battle with a guy that is now 0-9 as a starter. The bigger story was the fact that the Chiefs could get nothing going on the ground. Starting tailback Larry Johnson only gained 20 yards against the top notch Baltimore defense.

Defensively, the Chiefs are going to have to tighten things up against the pass. They allowed quarterback Joe Flacco to pass for 307 yards and three touchdowns (career highs). The 501 total yards gained by the Ravens were the most in a single game in franchise history. I was definitely impressed by the way the Chiefs hung in there on the road, but the defense must show major improvement this week if they hope to get in the win column. If you like Kansas City to bounce back strong at home in Week 2, bet the Chiefs at -3 at BetUS.

The Oakland Raiders let a chance to end an 11-game losing streak to the Chargers slip through their fingers when San Diego’s Darren Sproles scored a touchdown with just 18 seconds left. While the Raiders were not able to get the job done, the stats tell us that they deserved to win. They outgained the Chargers by nearly 50 yards and possessed the football over three minutes longer. It was the second year in a row that the Raiders outgained the Chargers at home and ended up losing the game. While the Raiders did not win, I think there are definitely some positives they can take away from that game. Oakland ran the football very well with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush racking up most of its 148 rushing yards, nearly double what the Chargers totaled on the ground. While the ground game is Oakland’s strength, watching the Ravens torch Kansas City through the air could mean that winning this week will fall on the strong right arm of JaMarcus Russell. But Russell did not play well against the Chargers, completing just 12 of 30 passes for 208 yards and two interceptions and a passer rating of only 47.6. It is worth noting that the Raiders are 5-1 against the spread in their last six meetings in Kansas City. If you like Oakland to bounce back from its tough Week 1 loss, bet the Raiders at +3 at BetUS.

*Note: Jimmy Boyd turned in a 3-1 performance on the NFL gridiron last Sunday and brings a 9-5 NFL run into this week’s action. Make sure you consult his NFL expert picks before you make a single move this week.

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Written by Jimmy Boyd on September 15, 2009 · Filed Under NFL Betting Articles, News & Previews

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