Raiders vs. Bills: Over/Under, Spread, Final Predictions, TV Info and More

We've come to associate the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills as being two of the worst teams in the NFL in recent years, but both teams got off to a hot start in Week 1. And today, they will meet to determine which team gets to continue its hot start.

The Raiders are 1-0 for the first time since 2002 after beating the Denver Broncos 23-20 on Monday Night Football. In order to go to 2-0, however, they're likely going to need a much cleaner game than the one they played in Denver.

As for the Bills, they could do little wrong against the Kansas City Chiefs, as they thumped them, 41-7. The question now is whether or not they can play that well again.

Let's take a closer look at what we can expect to see between these two teams.

Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium

When: Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Watch: CBS, DirecTV 705

Over/Under: 43 points; -110 over, -110 under. Bit of a conservative number seeing as how these two teams combined to score more than 60 points last week. Both the Raiders and Bills can score, and neither has a perfect defense. It's a tough call given the unreliability of both clubs, but I'd still take the over.

Spread: Bills -4. No surprise that the home team has the edge, but just barely. I foresee the Bills winning a close game if they do win, but I actually like the Raiders to upset outright. They strike me as the better team.

Key Injuries

According to NFL.com, both teams have a handful of players who are probable for today's game, but Oakland's injury issues stand out as being rather troublesome.

Among the players listed as questionable for the Raiders are defensive tackle Richard Seymour (ribs), safety Michael Huff (groin), tight end Kevin Boss (knee) and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (knee). In addition, wide receivers Jacoby Ford (hamstring) and Louis Murphy (groin) are listed as out. The Raiders can win without one or even all of these guys, but it won't be a walk in the park.

As for the Bills, defensive tackle Torell Troup (back) is listed as doubtful, and cornerback Terrence McGee (hamstring), linebacker Robert Eddins (foot) and wide receiver Marcus Easley (illness) are listed as out. Not nearly as bad an injury report as Oakland's.

Fantasy Big Plays

Raiders RB Darren McFadden: He rushed for an NFL-high 150 yards against the Broncos, and now he gets to face a Bills team that was among the worst teams in the league when it came to stopping the rush in 2010.

Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: He threw four touchdown passes against the Chiefs, and he will face a Raiders team that has a lot of question marks in the secondary. He better watch out for the pass rush, though.

Raiders RB Michael Bush: McFadden gets the Raiders to the goal line, but Bush is oftentimes the guy who gets the Raiders into the end zone. He could provide a cheap touchdown or two on Sunday.

Keys to Raiders Win

If the Raiders can run the ball successfully on the Bills, they're going to be very hard to beat. McFadden and Bush for arguably the best running back tandem in the league, and they can really wear opponents down.

On defense, the Raiders need to continue to compensate for their sub-par secondary by getting after Fitzpatrick. Oakland's defensive line is ferocious, so that's not asking too much.

However, the Raiders were lucky to win in Week 1 despite racking up 15 penalties. That number must come down. Way down.

Keys to Bills Win

This game will come down to how the Bills handle themselves in the trenches. The pressure will be on the offensive line to give Fitzpatrick time to throw the football, and the Bills will also need to seal up running lanes on defense.

If the Bills can do these things, they will be able to control the tempo of the game without much difficulty. Another blowout is probably not in the cards, but a 2-0 start very well could be.

Prediction

After one week, I think the Raiders have a chance to make a playoff push this year. But despite the fact the Bills pummeled the Chiefs, I think that had more to do with the Chiefs not being ready than it did with the Bills being the better team.

I'll take the Raiders to win this one outright.

Raiders 27, Bills 24