Raiders at Jaguars: Preview, Predictions, and More

Oakland Raiders vs Jacksonville Jaguars

The Oakland Raiders come into their Week 7 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars licking their wounds from their beatdown at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs. Every game they had been in before that was a one-score game until they got throttled 26-10 last week.

The Jags also have been in close games all season long, including a come-from-behind win last week against the Bears, 17-16. Smart money would say this should be another close one as the two young teams battle it out on Sunday.

Here’s a look at the keys to victory for both teams in this matchup.

Oakland Keys To Victory

Shrug off last week: Last week was an anomaly for the Raiders. They have had five close games and one stinker. Forget the beating and focus on the next one.

Find a running game: They struggled to move the ball on the ground last week, although they did have to abandon it when they fell behind. Get the running game going early and it opens things up for Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree down the field.

Get after Blake Bortles: The biggest issue for Jacksonville has been Bortles throwing interceptions. If Oakland can pressure him, he will make mistakes. Don’t let him get comfortable.

Jacksonville Keys To Victory

Protect the football: On the flip side, Jacksonville needs to protect the ball. Bortles has 12 games with more than one interception since entering the league in 2014. No one else has that many. He needs to protect the ball in order for Jacksonville to get some wins.

Run the rock: They have yet to fully unleash their two headed monster in the backfield. Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon can be explosive. It’s time they show that and quit relying solely on Bortles.

Stay with the receivers: Cooper and Crabtree have been one of the best receiving duos in the NFL this season. The defense cannot let them get open in space. They will make their catches, but the key will be to limit their impact.

Odds

Point Spread: Oakland +1.5
Moneyline: Oakland -103, Jacksonville -115
Over/Under: 49

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Prediction

This one should stay close because neither team is good enough to run away with anything just yet. They both are young and on the rise, but Oakland has the better quarterback right now in Derek Carr. That will be the difference.

Pick: Oakland Raiders: 27, Jacksonville Jaguars: 23

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