Oakland Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

High expectations await the Oakland Raiders as they travel to New Orleans for Sunday afternoon's Week 1 NFL matchup with the Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Raiders showed marked improvement last season, finishing 7-9 straight up, and are looking to re-establish themselves as legitimate playoff contenders. The Saints stumbled to their second straight 7-9 SU finish in 2015 and are expected to go as far as veteran quarterback Drew Brees can take them.

Point spread: The Saints opened as 1.5-point favorites; the total was 51 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, per the Odds Shark computer: 28.7-15.0 Saints (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Raiders can cover the spread

Oakland emerged as one of the early success stories of last season, bolting to a 4-3 SU start on the strength of a solid debut by rookie receiver Amari Cooper and Derek Carr's continued development into a bona fide NFL quarterback.

The Raiders faded down the stretch, going 3-6 SU and 4-5 against the spread in their final nine games, according to the Odds Shark NFL Database. But Oakland maintained its composure on the road, covering in five of its final six road dates and claiming outright wins over the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos as road underdogs.

Team defense proved to be Oakland's greatest weakness a year ago, as it ranked 21st alongside the Chargers. But key offseason acquisitions and defensive mainstays, including linebacker Bruce Irvin, defensive end Khalil Mack and safety Reggie Nelson, should make life tougher for opposing offenses.

Why the Saints can cover the spread

Brees has led the NFL in passing yards in each of the past two years and will be central to the club's attempted return to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

The 37-year-old has dominated Oakland throughout his career, powering his teams to SU wins the last seven times they have faced the Raiders, including a pair of three-touchdown performances in two lopsided Saints wins in 2008 and 2012.

Those victories extended the Saints' strong record against Oakland to 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS in their past eight clashes.

Questions swirl around a Saints defense that gave up an NFL-worst 29.8 points per game last season. However, New Orleans finished 2015 on a 3-1 SU run, riding a hot offense to a 4-1 ATS record in their final five outings.

Smart pick

Oakland sports a brutal historical record in Week 1, going 1-12 SU on opening weekend over the past 13 years, and it has not recorded a SU win in the Big Easy since 2000.

However, with an important year of experience under their belts, the Raiders look ready to shake their recent dark past and earn both the SU and ATS win. The Saints will be hard-pressed to produce the level of offense they enjoyed at the end of last season.

Betting trends

The Raiders are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games against the Saints.

The total has gone over in the Saints' last five games at home.

The Saints are 1-5 ATS in their last six games in Week 1.

All NFL betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.