New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders Spread

The New England Patriots will try to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they visit the Oakland Raiders Sunday.

Odds makers have given the edge to the Pats, listing them as a four-point favorite with the total set at 55.

After a pair of 14-point victories over Miami and San Diego, the reigning AFC East champs saw their 15-game winning streak against Buffalo come to an end.

The Patriots blew a 21-0 advantage on their way to a 34-31 defeat.

Tom Brady, who leads the NFL with 1,327 passing yards, completed 30 of 45 passes for 387 yards with four touchdowns but was picked off four times.

Wes Welker had a monster game, hauling in 16 passes for 217 yards with two scores.

The Raiders improved to 2-1 with a 34-24 victory over the New York Jets, who couldn’t hold on to a 10-point first-half lead.

Darren McFadden had himself a game, running for 171 yards and two scores.

He suffered a groin injury against the Jets but is currently listed as probable for this week’s contest.

While Oakland, which leads the league with 185 rushing yards per game, would prefer to grind this one out, it may have to take to the air Sunday.

The Patriots ranks 10th in the league against the run with 91.7 yards per game allowed but last against the pass with 377 yards allowed per contest.

Quarterback Jason Campbell, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 156 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions last week, isn’t usually asked to put the team on his back. He was asked to do more against the Bills in a 38-35 Week 2 loss and performed well. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 323 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Like New England, the Oakland stop unit has left plenty to be desired. It ranks 28th in both total and scoring defense with 410 yards and 27.3 points allowed per game.

The Raiders, who rank 28th in the league with 289.7 passing yards allowed per contest, will undoubtedly be tested by arguably the NFL’s best quarterback Sunday.

About the only way to beat the Pats is to turn them over, which is what Buffalo did last week. The Raiders have forced six turnovers through the first three weeks.

New England has won the last two meetings in the series with the most recent being a 49-26 victory in Oakland on Dec. 12, 2008.

The Patriots have been a strong bet in bounce back spots, going 24-9-1 against the spread in their last 34 games following a loss, but it’s also worth noting that the Raiders are now on a 4-0 against the run in the underdog role.

As far as the total is concerned, the over should get a look. The Raiders have finished over the total in each of their last five home games and the Pats have played to the over in six of the last seven on the road.

Jimmy Boyd is off to a hot 6-2-1 start with his Sunday NFL plays through the first three weeks of the season. He is on a dominant 34-18-1 run (excludes preseason) on the pro gridiron dating back to last season. Join him again this Sunday for more expert premium picks!