2009 NFL Picks Oakland Raiders AFC West Betting Odds: It’s hard to tell just where the Oakland Raiders went wrong, but it’s clear that it all started with an abysmal front office. The Raiders throw money down empty wells and continue to pick up free agents and rookies that make no sense within the Black and Silver system. Coming off of a 5-11 2008 campaign that saw the Raiders do better than expected, fans once again have little to be hopeful of. The 2009 NFL Picks experts at online sportsbook SBG Global have the Oakland Raiders +5500 odds to win the 2010 Super Bowl.
OAKLAND RAIDERS – AFC WEST
2008 Season Record: 12-4, second in AFC West
Defense: 4
Offense: 6
Special Teams: 8
Coaching: 5
2009 NFL Picks: 2-14
OVER 5½ WINS: –130 odds
UNDER 5½ WINS: EVEN
Pros: The Raiders possess a three-headed-monster of a running game. Spearheaded by running back Justin Fargas (853 yards and one touchdown in 2008) and complimented by the emergence of second year running back Darren McFadden (499 yards, four touchdowns in 2008) and Michael Bush (421 yards and three touchdowns in 2008), the Oakland offense is a three-man wrecking crew. On the ground, the Raiders are one of the most dangerous and under-rated squads in the NFL and fans can expect even more production this year, especially from McFadden.
Cons: Franchise quarterback JaMarcus Russell once again reported to camp overweight and his lack of work ethic is becoming a real problem in Oakland. Any time a starting quarterback, the inherent leader of the team, shows a lack of commitment, it trickles down throughout the locker room. The young Raider crew can’t afford additional negativity coming through the McAfee Coliseum doors and Head Coach Tom Cable will have to figure out a way to get his “star player” in check immediately. Despite a very impressive running back scenario, the Raiders have at best, a poor offensive line. Cable will need to find upgrades from right guard Cooper Carlisle, right tackle Cornell Green and left tackle Khalif Barnes. Without making the necessary improvements, the Raiders run the risk of improperly utilizing the ground game, a risk that the Raiders can’t afford to take. Oakland is also coming off of a season in which they ranked 29th in yards allowed (272.3 yards per game) and without a reliable passing game, the Black and Silver can’t afford to give up that much. If Oakland can’t find a way to slow opposing offenses, fans can expect another embarrassing year for the Team of the Decades.
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Outlook: With only one proven threat at wide receiver, Zack Miller (56 receptions, 778 yards and one touchdown in 2008), the Raiders will have a hard time blowing teams away on the ground. Opposing defenses will be able to snuff out run plays and as a result, the offense will struggle. More staggering, however, will be their inability to shut opposing offenses down, and as a result, Oakland fans will see a lot of one-sided losses.
Draft Overview: No one really understood the Raiders’ decision to select Darrius Heyward-Bey (University of Maryland, draft No. 7) with their first overall pick. At the time, both wide receivers Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) and Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) were still available and Heyward-Bey is not nearly as polished as either of them. Still in true Raider fashion, the Black and Silver showed further ineptitude in the 2009 draft and made more selections that made little sense. Yes, there’s no denying that the former Terp possesses the speed to become an impact type play-maker, but he lacks the skills necessary to get the job done consistently. Strong safety Mike Mitchell (Ohio, draft No. 47) was another perplexing choice for the Raiders. By selecting another speedy athlete that lacks technical abilities, the Black and Silver front office made it clear that they place far too much value in the 40-meter dash trials at the NFL Combine.
Overall Outlook: The Raiders are looking at another losing season in 2009. What they need is a total culture recall. The Raiders need to renovate front office employment, draw up a whole new roster and start from scratch.
Intangibles: Will Russell ever become the quarterback that the Raiders thought they were getting in 2007? His lack of work ethic tells Raider fans that he won’t. How long will the franchise continue to rely on a leader who doesn’t deserve the label? If Russell can get his act together, the Raiders can at least compete on a game-to-game basis, but if not, it will be a 2009 of humiliating proportions.
SBG Global has posted their 2009 NFL Picks odds to win the 2010 Super Bowl:
Arizona CARDINALS: +2900
Atlanta FALCONS: +2000
Baltimore RAVENS: +2500
Buffalo BILLS: +8500
Carolina PANTHERS: +3950
Chicago BEARS: +2000
Cincinnati BENGALS: +8500
Cleveland BROWNS: +7500
Dallas COWBOYS: +1400
Denver BRONCOS: +6000
Detroit LIONS: +15000
Green Bay PACKERS: +2500
Houston TEXANS: +2000
Indianapolis COLTS: +1000
Jacksonville JAGUARS: +4500
Kansas City CHIEFS: +7500
Miami DOLPHINS: +3000
Minnesota VIKINGS: +800
New England PATRIOTS: +300
New Orleans SAINTS: +1700
New York GIANTS: +850
New York JETS: +3500
Oakland RAIDERS: +5500
Philadelphia EAGLES: +650
Pittsburgh STEELERS: +700
San Diego CHARGERS: +500
San Francisco 49ERS: +6500
Seattle SEAHAWKS: +3000
St. Louis RAMS: +8500
Tampa Bay BUCCANEERS: +10000
Tennessee TITANS: +2000
Washington REDSKINS: +4850
