The Battle of the Bay. Before the season started the NFL must have thought tonight’s game between the Raiders and the 49ers had the potential to be a gem. But not now. It turns out it’s a battle of cellar dwellers. Star quarterback Jimmy G is out and Jon Gruden’s team is being dismantled for the future. But that won’t stop us from doing a little breakdown of Thursday night’s the Battle of the Bay.
OAKLAND RAIDERS VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (-2.5, 45.5)
Background. The Raiders and Niners have both struggled in all three facets of the game this season. This is a big reason why these two are a combined 2-13 coming into the game. While something’s got to give in this one, expect both offenses to struggle coming off a short week. Field position and the kicking game should come in to play. Quarterbacks CJ Beathard and Derek Carr are both capable QBs. But the offenses will stall in the early going as the first points of the game will likely come from one of the team’s kickers.
The Raiders and 49ers both rank in the bottom half of the NFL in terms of points scored in the first half. The trends suggest this game will be more of the same. The Raiders are coming off a blowout loss at home last weekend against the Colts while the 49ers lost on the road to the Cardinals. So there will be incentive to regroup after those efforts. However, the Oakland passing game will face some challenges thanks to an above average San Fran pass rush while the Raiders’ defensive line should be able to do just enough to at least make Beathard uncomfortable.
The Total. The Raiders offense hasn’t lived up to expectations this season and now they’re without Marshawn Lynch (injury) and Amari Cooper (trade). And outside of tight end Jared Cook, the whole unit has been a major disappointment. However, they did look good for the most part against the Colts in the first half last weekend. We think they should have some success moving the ball against an inconsistent San Francisco defense. And we have already discussed the Niners’ advantage on the ground. The number in this one is down to 45.5-points after opening at 47 and it looks as though it is trending in the right direction. Oakland has gone Under in five of its last six road games and 11-3 in its last 14 overall. Meanwhile, the Niners have come in light of the number in eight of their last 11 Thursday nighters. This spells under to us.
The Winner. Early money came in on the Raiders as the line started to come down and by the time we get to kickoff it could end up a Pick‘em. Neither of these teams have inspired a ton of confidence in bettors as the Raiders are prepping for the rebuild and the 49ers have dealt with multiple season ending injuries to their offense. The Raiders are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games on the road but are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 following a double-digit loss at home. The 49ers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games and are just 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games on Thursday. This one stays close with the visitors having a chance to win outright. But with a strong running game and a home field advantage, we see the 49ers getting the W.