NFL odds are going to have the Oakland Raiders as underdogs in most of their games in 2009. The Raiders are still considered one of the worst teams in the NFL and despite playing in the weak AFC West; the Raiders are not playoff contenders.
NFL odds on the Oakland Raiders are going to be high but that doesn’t mean the Raiders can’t cover the spread on occasions. Last year the Raiders finished 5-11 straight up but they were 7-9 against the NFL odds. The Raiders made a couple of nice off-season moves as online betting information shows, picking up fullback Lorenzo Neal and quarterback Jeff Garcia but losing safety Gibril Wilson is a huge blow. The team inexplicably bypassed Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the NFL draft and selected Darrius Heyward-Bey. It was just another example of the incompetence of the Oakland franchise.
Tom Cable returns as head coach after taking over in the middle of last year. He did some good things but overall he is not head coaching material. In Oakland though, it really doesn’t matter who the head coach is as long as Al Davis is running the team. The Raiders have a quarterback in JaMarcus Russell that doesn’t belong in the NFL and they continue to make mistakes on a regular basis. Running back Darren McFadden was a bust, showing that the Raiders can’t do anything right. The offense was abysmal, finishing 29th in the league in points scored as NFL odds numbers show. The defense was horrible against the run but at least they had cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha against the pass and that meant they were actually 10th in the league in passing yards allowed. Losing Wilson though is a killer for the Raiders this season.
As you look at NFL odds this season on the Raiders it all comes down to who is at quarterback. If Russell is given the starting job again then the Raiders are a lost cause in NFL betting. If Garcia gets the job then the Raiders will be competitive in NFL betting and fun to watch. It would also help if McFadden proved he belongs in the NFL.
The Raiders are a huge longshot in NFL odds to win the Super Bowl at 75-1. In reality they should be 1000-1 or more considering the ownership but this is the NFL and almost anything can happen.