Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders at Titans: Odds, trends and more

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Let’s take a deeper look at this week’s matchup between the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans, who clash this Sunday at Nashville.

A year ago, the Oakland Raiders rallied to beat the Tennessee Titans, 24-21, thanks to quarterback Derek Carr’s late-game touchdown pass to wide receiver Seth Roberts.

Jack Del Rio’s club has picked up where it left off a year ago — at least when it comes to scoring points and moving the football. They made great strides in this department from the previous season, when the Raiders totaled 26 offensive TD but committed 29 turnovers in 2014. Last year, Carr and company coughed up the football only 24 times while the team’s offensive unit made 41 trips to the end zone.

In two games this season — a split with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons —Oakland has put 63 points on the board. The team has scored four touchdowns each both on the ground and through the air and the club has not committed a turnover in the process.

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Why all this info on the Silver and Black attack? It’s why the Titans are just a 1-point favorite at home this week, telling you that the Raiders are perhaps the better bet. But looks can be very deceiving. In terms of the spread, Del Rio’s club won outright in Week 1 at New Orleans (35-34) as a 2-point underdog. Last Sunday, Oakland was a 4.5-point favorite at home against the Falcons and lost the game, 35-28.

Odds

Line: Titans (-1)

Over/Under: 46.5

So what’s the point (pun intended)? It’s the Raiders defense that makes them an uncertain play, especially at this stage of the season. Veteran cornerback Sean Smith, one of the team’s prized offseason additions, has struggled mightily so far. Ken Norton’s Jr.’s unit has allowed the most passing yards in the league (yes, it’s early) and already surrendered seven touchdown passes in two games.

Meanwhile, the Titans defense under coordinator Dick LeBeau has allowed one offensive touchdown in two games despite the team’s 1-1 record. Keep that in mind when thinking the Raiders look very enticing as a slight underdog. And this may be a much more lower-scoring tilt than expected.