NFL Picks -- Can Cards Carry the Number vs. Raiders?

  • In Charles Jay
  • Sun, Nov 18th, 2018 9:39:16 am
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Arizona Cardinals are in an unfamiliar position - laying points - as they host the Oakland Radiers on Sunday.

Raiders vs Cardinals Preview and Pick

So what are thinking of Jon Gruden now? Maybe Oakland Raiders fans thought they were going to get ushered into a new era with his hiring, but what they have gotten is misery instead, as they unload productive players. That doesn't send the greatest message, but it now appears to be the long-term plan in advance of a move to Las Vegas. So maybe they're just playing out the schedule at this point as they travel to face the Arizona Cardinals in a game that begins at 4:05 PM ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ.

Remember that BetAnySports customers will have the opportunity to place wagers even after the game begins, as they take advantage of what is available with Live Betting Ultra.

Raiders Cardinals free betting tipsSitting with a 1-8 record (2-7 ATS), the Raiders looked very much like a team bailing out, even before the season began, when they failed to do everything in their power to hold on to Khalil Mack, perhaps the best defensive player in the NFL. And there have been a lot of stories about Gruden and his attempt to assume complete control of football personnel. So don't make any mistake about it - he is the guy who is shaping the future of this franchise on the field. And it goes without saying that he hasn't necessarily caught on to what's been happening in the NFL these days.

Arizona's offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy, may have been suffering from the same dilemma, although he didn't sit out a decade. But he was someone who did embrace an analytical approach to his stewardship of the offense, and his play-calling was questionable, and after a dismal 45-10 loss to the Denver Broncos, he was fired and replaced with Byron Leftwich, who reportedly has brought more life to the practices and more imagination to the offense. The Cards released Sam Bradford and are committed to Josh Rosen as the quarterback of the future AND present. They are 2-7 straight-up and 5-3-1 against the spread.

In the odds at BetAnySports upon which our NFL picks will be made, the Cardinals are laying points:

Arizona Cardinals -5
Oakland Raiders +5

Over 41 points -110
Under 41 points -110

One of the things Leftwich has done is to open things up for David Johnson, the dual threat back who had somehow gotten stuck running between the tackles under McCoy. Head coach Steve Wilks gave Leftwich the directive to do something different with Johnson, and indeed he has. The early returns aren't bad; last week, in the 26-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, he had 183 yards from scrimmage. And he is getting a lot more yards after contact than he was before. Wilks says he is "excited" about the direction the offense is going.

Arizona Cardinals free NFL pickAt least these are steps forward. Oakland doesn't have a lot of support for Derek Carr, who's completed 71% of his passes but for generally low impact. Marshawn Lynch is out with a groin injury. Amari Cooper was traded to Dallas (another move that did not inspire confidence) and Martavis Bryant has been ruled out of this game with an injury, which leaves the receiver corps very thin. And it could get thinner, depending on whether Jordy Nelson is close to 100%. The Raiders' offensive line, once a strength, has been embarrassing, as it has allowed 29 sacks.

Defensively, there would seem to be some weaknesses the Cardinals can exploit. Oakland has allowed 6.7 yards per play, which is the worst figure in the league, and only Atlanta and Cincinnati have been more permissive on third down than the Raiders' 46%. And while one of the things a defense wants to do is get pressure on a young quarterback like Rosen, Oakland has been derelict in this area, with just eight sacks.

You're always a little hesitant laying too many points with a team like Arizona. But when you consider that the Cards may actually be in a more positive atmosphere now, have a much better stop unit (29 sacks, for example), and then look at Oakland's current 4-16-3 pointspread run on top of that, laying the points may not be that bad an idea.

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(The preceding information has been furnished for news matter only)


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