Arizona at Las Vegas

Arizona is coming off a loss that is as tough as it gets. They were up by 20 points in the second half vs. Chicago. They forced 6 turnovers and their defense did not allow a touchdown all game. Yet they still lost. How will they perform this week? I'm betting that the emotional pain from that tough loss, just six days removed, lingers into this week. This team has to be throwing their hands up in the air and saying "we just can't win!" A feeling of helplessness is not a good thing. While Matt Leinart has looked very very good, the Arizona running game is non-existent. Edge James set an NFL record on Monday Night for lowest yards per carry getting 55 yards on 36 carries. On the year, he's averaging 2.7 YPC. Should a team that is ranked second-to-last in the NFL in rushing, a team that is 1-5 on the season, be a road favorite? I don't think so. Not even against Oakland. But most of the public disagrees. Depending on the sportsbook, 75%-85% of the bets are coming in on Arizona. Perfect. When a team is as down as Oakland, it's time to back them. This is why the public loses season after season. The Raiders showed a little promise last week, covering against he heavily favored Broncos. Andrew Walter has improved in every game since getting the call four weeks ago. And what I love here is the rushing matchup. Arizona is a bad defensive team. They are ranked 27th in yards per play allowed and 25th in points allowed per game. Oakland has faced two similar defenses within the past three weeks (Cleveland and San Francisco both ranked in bottom third of the league). Against Cleveland, the Raiders rushed for 194 yards. Against San Francisco, they gained 154 on the ground. I think Oakland notches their first win of the season this Sunday. They are improving and are in a great spot with nothing to lose at this point. Arizona is in a bad mental state. Oakland should be able to move the ball on the ground and Arizona has shown they cannot. Take the home dog here with the three points as insurance.