NFL Betting – Titans Try To Sustain Momentum Against Raiders

NFL betting fans know that the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders are both trying to change directions as they begin the 2010 NFL season… just in different ways. 

Oakland Raiders @ Tennessee Titans 
Sunday, September 12th – 1:00 PM ET 
LP Field, Nashville 
Broadcast: CBS 
NFL Odds: Raiders +6, Titans -6 
Total: 40.5 

The Oakland Raiders won their last AFC championship against the Tennessee Titans. Since then, they haven’t been heard from, as they’ve plummeted to the lower regions of the NFL and been buried in mediocrity. Then, a funny thing happened this past offseason: Oakland actually made smart draft decisions by loading up on defense and athleticism while ditching chronically lazy and eternally wayward quarterback JaMarcus Russell, one of the greatest busts in the history of the NFL, right alongside Ryan Leaf. Al Davis – the aging but still iconic figure at the head of the Raider franchise – has sobered up and given his team at least something of a reason for hope this year. Oakland will try to turn that hope into fulfillment against a Tennessee team that started last season 0-6 but used its own quarterback change to get to 8-8 by season’s end. Tennessee wants to change the way it plays offense. Oakland wants to change its results. Who will win out in an intriguing season opener? 

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NFL Betting: What The Raiders Have To Do To Win 

For Oakland, one has to realize that starting quarterback Jason Campbell got dinged up in the Raiders’ next-to-last preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. If Campbell gets injured to an even greater degree or simply proves ineffective, the not-very-credentialed Bruce Gradkowski would step in. Campbell’s presence on the field is a plus for Oakland, but it’s generally thought that the former Washington Redskin is far from fully health. Campbell is an appreciably mobile quarterback when he’s entirely fit, so a lack of scrambling will make him and the Raiders more vulnerable in this opening game. Oakland Raiders must pound the ball between the tackles to take pressure off Campbell. The Raiders need to put themselves in short-yardage situations on third down so they can use play-action passes and not force Campbell to do a lot of seven-step drops deep into the pocket. 

NFL Betting: What The Titans Have To Do To Win 

Because Oakland has a less-than-healthy quarterback, Tennessee is the team that should be able to dictate a little more in the trenches and force the Raiders to make risky plays. Vince Young got used to the quarterback spot last year for the Titans, so his objective on Sunday will be to manage the game effectively and not try to do more than what he’s capable of. A turnover-free game from Young will force Oakland to produce long scoring marches. As long as Tennessee can feed Chris Johnson – one of the very best running backs in the league – Oakland will eventually bite on a play fake or bootleg and allow Young to do something special. Tennessee Titans needs to force the Raiders to adjust, not the other way around. 

NFL Betting: Outlook & Pick 

There’s a very good chance that Campbell won’t last the whole game, and while Vince Young has been known to be emotionally erratic, the thought here is that Titans coach Jeff Fisher – one of the survivors in a cutthroat profession – will place a strong emphasis on ball security and keep his field general reined in. Tennessee will play this game intelligently and carve out a 10-point win.

NFL Betting Pick: Titans -6