NFL Betting – Raiders To Play Jets Tough

New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders
Football: United States, NFL
Sunday, 25th October 2009 - Kickoff 4:05pm

---

While most people are focusing in on the World Series betting lines nowadays, there is more than just baseball going on. As a matter of fact, the World Series odds can wait until we know who the two finalists are.

The NFL has a decent slate of games this week and while there aren’t a ton of headliners, one afternoon game that should pique the interest of the fan base is the New York Jets-Oakland Raiders contest.

The Raiders are coming off their most impressive win of the season, which was a trampling of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were supposed to be a Super Bowl contender and the Raiders were supposed to be trash, which is why the win surprised everyone.

Now the Raiders are a seven-point underdog as the Jets visit and a lot of people are wondering whether the success and confidence will carry over.

One of the newest members on the Raiders team, Richard Seymour, seems to think it will. In talking with the media on Wednesday, Seymour guaranteed that the Raiders will make the playoffs in 2009, which is a huge proclamation.

We’ll see how they fare this week.

The Jets have come back down to Earth after starting 3-0, which has surprised a lot of people. They won their first three games but have struggled in the last three weeks, mostly because of the struggles of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

When the Jets were riding high in their wins, Sanchez was nicknamed as the “Sanchize”, he was the talk of New York and he was lauded for his great performances. But given how much he’s struggled in the last few weeks, he has been tabbed as a rookie.

The bigger issue for the Jets will be the loss of defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, who is arguably the most important member of the Jets defense. Last week, the Jets defense didn’t have a single sack and allowed 13 of their 16 points after he was injured. Jenkins is now out for the year and that is going to be a lingering concern.

THe Betting Verdict :

With the Jets having to play without Jenkins, the Raiders should be able to run the ball somewhat and if that’s the case, they’ll be in this game. Look for them to hang around within the spread but eventually lose by a tight margin.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Oakland 16-20 New York Jets

HANDICAP BETTING :

Take the RAIDERS +6.5 to keep the game close.