Tennessee Titans vs Oakland Raiders (12/8/19): NFL Betting Picks, Lines

The Oakland Raiders are poster children for being an average team in this 2019 season.

They are 6-6, but they are probably less than an average team, in reality, at this point in the season.

They have been beaten by a combined score of 74-12 in the past two games, by the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite having a .500 record, they have a minus-87 point differential this season, which is mind boggling. Oakland is 4-1 against teams with a losing record and 0-5 against teams with winning records. The Raiders are 2-0 against teams that are 500.

This is a season of haves and have nots in the NFL. There are several teams that have already been officially eliminated from playoff contention with a quarter of the season remaining. So, even though the Raiders are struggling and they haven’t shown an ability to beat good teams 12 games into the season, they are still alive in the AFC playoff hunt.

Of course, any chances of winning the AFC West were dashed in a, 40-9 (and it probably wasn’t as close as the score indicated), defeat at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Chiefs are 8-4 and have a two-game lead over Oakland in the AFC West. Because the Chiefs have swept Oakland (by a combined score of 68-19) they have the tiebreaker and essentially have a three-game lead with four remaining games.

Still, the Raiders, who are currently eighth in the six-team AFC playoff race, are not dead in the wild card hut.

We’ll know much more about the Raiders’ playoff chances after they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. If the Raiders win, and beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season, they’ll be in good shape. Oakland plays the Jacksonville Jaguars (in their final game in Oakland) and they finish the season at the Los Angeles Chargers (with a lot of Raiders’ fans expected in the stands) and at the Denver Broncos. Those three teams are a combined 12-24.

Thus, they are the types of teams Oakland beats.

So, a win over the Titans would revive the Raiders’ chances. But it won’t be easy. The Titans are 7-5 and one of the hottest teams in the league. They are 5-1 since Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback for Marcus Mariota. The Raiders have to immediately start playing better or they will be in trouble Sunday.

Let’s look at some key betting elements to the game. Lines are based on a sampling of several sportsbooks:

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Point Spread

The line: Tennessee by 3 points.

Why: The Titans are hot and the Raiders are not. Oddsmakers know the Raiders have not beaten a team with a winning record this season. The Raiders are 4-1 in Oakland, though, so that has to be taken into consideration as well. But after what both the Titans and the Raiders have displayed in recent weeks, this line is understandable.

My lean: I have to lean toward Tennessee, though, I don’t think the Raiders will be blown out for a third straight week. Playing in Oakland has inspired this team. But I still think the Titans win in a close game.

The Total

The line: 46.5 points

Why: Raiders’ games have been hitting the under in recent weeks. A big reason is that they are having trouble scoring. In the past 10 quarters, Oakland has scored just 15 points. The Titans also play fairly stout defense. They are allowing an average of 19.5 points a game.

My lean: My prediction for this game is the Titans winning by a score of 24-20. So, I have to slightly lean to the under. It is similar to last week when my prediction for the Kansas City game was a total of 50 points. The total was set at 51.5. The final total was 49 points. That’s pretty good, so, let’s do it again.

The Moneyline

The lines: Tennessee is -150. Oakland is +123

My lean: I don’t like the price on the Titans, even though I like them to win. But there’s not enough value there with a three-point spread in my opinion. The value in on the Raiders here even though I’m staying away from it.

Prop Bets To Consider

Titans -3 and under +205

Why: I wish the price offered more value, but I love this parlay when I feel good about both the point spread and the total.

Under 44.5 points +108

Why: This bet is all about riding your gut and making a solid profit.

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