NFL Football Futures Betting - Oakland Raiders

It's almost NFL football betting season again and we preview the Oakland Raiders' chances for the upcoming NFL season.

The Oakland Raiders had another bizarre season in 2008, low-lighted by the public blood feud between Al Davis and coach Lane Kiffin that culminated in very public firing and one of the more surreal press conferences in recent memory. What kind of soap opera does Davis have in store this season, and will any of it result in a better Raider record than last year's 5-11 (7-9 ATS)?

Let's take a look at the numbers:

Here are some NFL futures odds (Source:BetUS Sportsbook):
To Win AFC West

San Diego Chargers -300
Denver Broncos +400
Kansas City Chiefs +800
OAKLAND RAIDERS +1000

OAKLAND RAIDERS ODDS (Source: BetUS Sportsbook):

To Win Super Bowl: +10000
To Win AFC title: +6000
To Reach Conference title game: +3000
Regular Season Wins: Over 5.5 -130, Under 5.5 +100

One of the more surprising things out the Raiders' off-season is that Al Davis elected to retain Tom Cable, who was hired on an interim basis as head coach after the firing of Lane Kiffin. Cable went 4-8 over the last 12 games of the season, and his only previous coaching experience was an 11-35 stint at the University of Idaho.

One must admit that Oakland closed the 2008 season on a high note, scoring back-to-back wins over Houston and Tampa Bay, and there is a bit more calm in the organization this year. The fortunes of this club, at least at the outset, are going to depend on whether JaMarcus Russell is developing. The former #1 overall draft choice was disappointing in his first full season as a starter, completing less than 54% of passes, with 13 TDs, eight interceptions, and an average gain per pass of 6.6 yards. Part of the problem was a lack of receivers who could go downfield. Oakland hopes to get more out of Javon Walker (15 receptions in '08) this season, and they like to think they have at least addressed this need with two draft choices - Darius Hayward-Bey of Maryland, who had the fastest 40-yard time at the Scouting Combine but was considered a reach with the seventh pick in the draft and another speedster, Louis Murphy of Florida, who was taken on the fourth round. Khalif Barnes was signed off the Jacksonville Jaguars roster to play left tackle, so Russell, who was sacked 31 rimes, won't be running for his life.

Russell's best friend on the field this year will likely be tight end Zach Miller, who was an outstanding rookie and even better in his second season, catching 56 passes for 778 yards. Still, there are people who believe all this won't be enough; that Russell ultimately won't catch on to reading NFL defenses and that he will never be a very good NFL quarterback. Davis, who knew Kiffin wasn't crazy about him, gave Russell a big vote of confidence at the press conference where he fired the former head coach. However, it will be interesting to see what happens if Russell gets off to a sluggish start, because this year, Jeff Garcia is aboard as the backup. Will Cable yank Russell and go with the veteran, or will he be overruled by Davis?

At least Oakland appears to have a running game that is in good shape. Darren McFadden, who missed a few games with injuries, has the potential to be a big star in the league, and to improve on last year's numbers of 499 rushing yards and 285 through the air. Justin Fargas had 853 yards as the primary back; between them and Michael Bush (who was hailed as a Heisman candidate before breaking his leg in his final season at Louisville), the Raiders have some dynamite in the backfield.

Defensively, the lack of personnel moves was a downer for some Raider fans. This was a team that gave up almost 160 yards a game on the ground (only one team surrendered more) and the defensive front will remain virtually intact. Can Tommy Kelly and Gerald Warren improve their run stuffing this season? It's not a matter of the Raiders hoping that happens; it needs to happen, or else this will be another lost season. In 2008, there were four different teams - the Jets, Falcons, Dolphins and Patriots - who topped 200 yards on the ground against them.

Oakland can get the job done reasonably well against opposing air attacks, and it's a lot easier to do that when you have an outstanding cornerback like Nnamdi Asomugha to lock down on the opponent's best wide receiver. His colleague, Chris Johnson, was important in his contributions because he had to step in after D'Angelo Hall, a free agent bust, was released. The safeties are a potential problem, and for that reason there is the possibility that Michael Mitchell, the second-round pick out of Ohio, will find a prominent role, perhaps in the starting lineup. A highly-regarded athlete, Mitchell's selection nonetheless prompted some head-scratching, because he was considered a fifth-round talent by many.

Special teams are probably in pretty good hands, with Shane Lechler now the richest punter in NFL history, Sebastian Janikowski generally considered a reliable kicker, and solid return men in Johnny Lee Higgins and Justin Miller. You can call this a Raider strength, although it won't be enough for them to win a lot of games. This team is not a threat for a playoff spot, but if they were able to win five games amidst all the tumult of the 2008 campaign, I am confident they can go over the 5.5-win number, which is -130 in the NFL football futures betting odds according to BetUS Sportsbook. Stay tuned to PointSpread.com every week for more NFL analysis and NFL football picks every week of NFL season right through to the Super Bowl.

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