Oakland Raiders (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) vs. Buffalo Bills (4-2 SU, 4-1 ATS)
NFL Week 8
Date/Time: Sunday, October 29th, 2017 1:05 PM ET
Where: New Era Field at Ralph Wilson Stadium Orchard Park, NY
TV: CBS
by Keith, Expert Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: OAK +2.5 (-105)/BUF -2.5 (-115)
Over/Under Total:45.5
The Buffalo Bills will host the Oakland Raiders in a AFC East vs. AFC West clash set to take place New Era Field at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on Sunday, October 29th. Overall, the Raiders have won the previous two contests between both sides. The last meeting of which was in 2016 when the Raiders hosed the Bills in The Black Hole in a 38-24 victory. The game is set for kick off at 1:00 PM ET and will be aired for regional audiences on CBS.
The Raiders got off the snide in epic fashion when they pulled off an incredulous victory when hosting the one-loss Kansas City Chiefs. Before Thursday night audiences, the Raiders would defeat their arch rivals on a last-play touchdown that came as the result of several penalties and reviews in succession. Previous to this, the Raiders had lost four in a row and failed to cover as well in that span. With the Raiders franchise man Derek Carr back in the fold at quarterback there is a lot of anticipation for Oakland to finish strong down the backstretch. After all, the Raiders were undefeated in their first three games and earned a playoff berth last year on the heels of an impressive AFC West divisional crown.
The Bills come in off a dramatic 30-27 overtime win when they hosted the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay to earn their fourth win this season. In addition to this victory, the Bills as mentioned also own two impressive victories to bolster their resume in 2017. In back-to-back games, the Bills defeated both Atlanta and Denver. The result of these two contests is certainly fostered heightened optimism around this football team, as many zealots have been waiting for years for Buffalo to return to the playoffs and be a team of relevance. On the year, the Bills have been a broken slot machine against the spread as they have only failed to cover on one occasion. Against the Bucs, the Bills were spotting three points to Tampa Bay and thus they earned a push. It is worth noting that Buffalo had to rally to force overtime and earn the eventual win.
A huge question mark surrounding this contest is how will Oakland fare with DeAndre Washington shouldering the load for the Raiders backfield with incumbent starter Marshawn Lynch suspended after he shoved a referee in the Chiefs game. Washington answered that question with leaps and strides when he found paydirt in Lynchs absence. Nevertheless, the distance Oakland travelled and the concern of a jet-lag is also one that should be placed under the microscope. With the clocks going back an hour across America, the Raiders are playing essentially with a four-hour change on Sunday.
Nevertheless, there has been activity on the Raiders regardless as we have seen this market diminish by half of a point from the get-go. What we have seen is extra juice placed upon the Bills at this price. Some markets have offered the current number with a tag of -115. The fact remains that the Raiders are offered at a friendlier rate and much of the public has actually sided with the dog in this contest. With all of these narratives taken into consideration, alarms may sound.
The fact remains that there is more equity in trading an allotment of points and taking back a team at the Money Line at a price this low. The Raiders are currently hovering around +125 on Money Lines and are essentially creating a $.40 swing as a Money Line proposition as opposed to spotting a menial amount of points with Buffalo. Instead of risking $115 to make a $100, Oakland creates the situation of risking $100 to make $125. Long-term stratagem such as this is prudential. As we have covered previously, the Bills remain due for a correction against the spread. Despite all that has occurred last week, Buffalo opened at the same price we saw them at last week. This is no mistake. The fact remains Buffalo has been the benefactors of going against overvalued teams. However, this situation sets up perfectly to fade them. Take Oakland with the points if you are going conservative, but they are certainly worth a gander outright.
Keith’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: OAKLAND +2.5. – Bet this game for FREE by taking advantage of a FAT 100% bonus up to $1000 at MyBookie! (Use Promo Code: PRDCT14)