NFL Betting: Tennessee Titans vs. Oakland Raiders Odds, Preseason Analysis

The Oakland Raiders, playoff hopefuls for this season, will match up against the Tennessee Titans for a Week 3 NFL preseason contest Saturday night at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders are favored by three points at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Overview

After going 3-13 last year and firing its head coach after Week 8, Tennessee is entering its first full year under head coach Mike Mularkey. The Titans now boast two Heisman Trophy winners in their backfield, running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Marcus Mariota, and they also have running back DeMarco Murray, who led the NFL in rushing two seasons ago.

So far this preseason, Murray has run the ball 11 times for 113 yards and one touchdown.

Oakland, meanwhile, is hoping to build upon its 7-9 campaign of last season, its first under head coach Jack Del Rio. The Raiders can move the ball through the air, as quarterback Derek Carr developed strong chemistry with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree in 2015, but they need to improve in the running game and on defense.

Tennessee is 1-1 both straight up and against the spread this exhibition season, according to the Odds Shark NFL Database. Two weeks ago, the Titans beat the San Diego Chargers 27-10, piling up 288 yards on the ground, but last week, they lost to the Carolina Panthers 26-16, rushing for just 96 yards.

Oakland is also 1-1 both SU and ATS this preseason. The Raiders opened with a 31-10 victory at the Arizona Cardinals, as George Atkinson III scored twice on long runs. The Cardinals outgained Oakland 383-322, but they lost the turnover battle 3-1. The Raiders then lost at the Green Bay Packers last week 20-12, scoring their only touchdown of the night on a blocked punt.

These teams met back in Week 12 of last season—a 24-21 Oakland victory in Nashville. The Titans took a lead on Mariota's third touchdown pass of the game with four minutes to go, but Carr drove the Raiders—with help from a key fourth-down penalty on Tennessee—90 yards in nine plays for the winning score.

Oakland outgained the Titans that day 407-249, and the game pushed the posted total of 45 points.

Analysis

This Titans vs. Raiders matchup falls into a strange handicapping zone because, while Week 3 of the preseason is usually the time when starters get their most work, these teams will also meet in Week 3 of the regular season, just 29 days from Saturday. So both teams are likely to play this one close to the vest.

The Raiders are a full season ahead of Tennessee in development, but that might mean this game isn't as important to them as it is to the Titans. Oakland is likely the better team at the moment, but Tennessee might be the better bet in this spot.