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The Oakland Raiders open the 2018 season at home against the Los Angeles Rams on the late edition of Monday Night Football. Oakland is looking to rebound off of a disappointing 2017 season that saw them finish 6-10 and fire head coach Jack Del Rio. On Monday night, all eyes will be on new $100M man, Jon Gruden, patrolling the Oakland sidelines. In his first game with Oakland this time around, Gruden and the Raiders will be +4 underdogs to the visiting Rams.
Season Set to Begin
The regular season cannot get here soon enough for the Oakland Raiders. They spent all offseason in the headlines, first with the hiring of Jon Gruden and then with the Khalil Mack debacle. Offensively, Gruden has been vocal about wanting the Raiders to be a smash mouth, tough, old school football team.
This all begins with running the football up the middle. The Raiders have just the guys to do that with Marshawn Lynch and bowling ball Doug Martin. Lynch and Martin’s main job on Monday night will be to deliver the body blows to the superstar defensive line they have assembled in Los Angeles. I do not expect the Raiders rushing attack to put up huge numbers on Monday, but they will keep the pass rushers honest to give quarterback Derek Carr time to hit his receivers down field.
The Raiders will need the “big play” all season and they have just the guy to deliver with wide receiver Amari Cooper. Cooper was disappointing in 2017 but he is just too talented to keep down. He will have a huge 2018 and a big Monday night. Also, remember seeing Jordy Nelson on highlight reel after highlight reel streaking down the field for long touchdowns? Well, he is wearing silver and black now.
Improvement Needed
Oakland simply cannot be any worse on defense than they were in 2017. This team could not create a turnover if their life depended on it. Gruden’s new regime includes defensive coordinator Paul Guenther who comes to the Raiders from Cincinnati where he had success in a pretty offensively dynamic division.
Oakland will also be starting two new corners, which usually is seen as a negative but with the lack of production in 2017, has to be seen as an upgrade. Rashaan Melvin and 2017 first round pick Gareon Conley will man the outside and everyone around the Oakland football team is excited about these two’s coverage ability.
Raiders as Underdogs
The Raiders are +4 dogs at home. That is a lot of points in Week 1 before we have had a chance to see the updated version of either squad. The “Black Hole” will be rocking at the prodigal son’s return to the Oakland sidelines and the Raiders will stake their claim as California’s team. I expect to see regression from the Rams offense now that teams have had a year to study Sean McVay’s schemes on film.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, I do not think their defense can do enough to beat the Rams, but they should keep them within four points. Raiders are the team to bet on Monday night. Rams win 24-21. Take the Raiders to cover at home at YouWager.
