New England Patriots vs Oakland Raiders: Last-Minute Spread Info and Prediction

The New England Patriots need to bounce back against the Oakland Raiders this week after a devastating loss to the Buffalo Bills last week

The Patriots defense was awful last week, and Tom Brady was unlucky to throw four interceptions in the game.

The Raiders knocked off the New York Jets in Week 3 behind the legs of Darren McFadden, and will be looking to knock off two straight AFC East teams.

Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland, California)

When: Sun, Oct. 2 at 4:15 p.m. EDT

Watch: CBS, DirecTV Sunday Ticket 716

Over/Under: 55

Both these teams should easily top 30 points this week. The Patriots offense is dynamite, while the Patriots defense loves to self-implode.

Don't expect anything to change this week, as McFadden and the Raiders offense should rack up enough points to send this game over.

Betting Line: New England (-5)

This is a very tough game to predict. The Patriots haven't lost two games in a row since 2009, which was the only time they had lost two in a row since 2006.

The Raiders aren't going to win this game, but they could keep it close enough to cover the spread. However, Patrick Chung is returning to the secondary this week, and his return should be enough to slow down the Raiders aerial attack.

Look for the Patriots to cover the spread by the thinnest of margins.

Key Injuries

Here is the official injury report for each team according to NFL.com,

Player	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
Logan Mankins	G	Illness	Limited Participation in Practice	--
Jerod Mayo	LB	Thigh	Limited Participation in Practice	--
Zoltan Mesko	P	left Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	--
Aaron Hernandez	TE	Knee	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Sebastian Vollmer	T	Back	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Mike Wright	DE	Concussion	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Albert Haynesworth	DE	Back	Did Not Participate In Practice	Questionable
Kyle Arrington	CB	Chest	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Leigh Bodden	CB	Groin	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Patrick Chung	S	Hand	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Ras-I Dowling	CB	Hip	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Shaun Ellis	DE	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Gary Guyton	LB	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Taylor Price	WR	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Ryan Wendell	C	Calf	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Josh Barrett	S	Thumb	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Dane Fletcher	LB	Thumb	Full Participation in Practice	Probable

Player	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
Chris Johnson	CB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Louis Murphy	WR	Groin	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Ricky Brown	LB	Concussion	Did Not Participate In Practice	Questionable
Michael Huff	S	Concussion	Did Not Participate In Practice	Questionable
Marcel Reece	RB	Ankle	Did Not Participate In Practice	Questionable
Matt Shaughnessy	DE	Shoulder	Did Not Participate In Practice	Questionable
Jacoby Ford	WR	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Michael Mitchell	S	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Jerome Boyd	S	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Matt Giordano	S	Shoulder	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Quentin Groves	LB	Quadricep	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Darren McFadden	RB	Shoulder	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
DeMarcus Van Dyke	CB	Knee	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Jason Campbell	QB	Foot	Limited Participation in Practice	Probable
Chimdi Chekwa	CB	Hamstring	Limited Participation in Practice	Probable

Fantasy Big Plays

Tom Brady

Tom Brady is one of the few extremely elite fantasy quarterbacks and is a must-start each and every week.

Even though the Oakland Raiders defense has been solid this year, Brady will find a way to exploit them like he does every other secondary.

Darren McFadden

The entire New England Patriots defense has been horrible this year, and that won't change this week. McFadden will find a way to pick up yards both on the ground and through the air.

He is one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL and has finally reached his potential.

Expect another big week out of D-Mac.

Key to Patriots Win

The Patriots need to get pressure on Jason Campbell. The team has struggled in pass protection this year, but Campbell has a tendency to struggle with pressure in his face.

If the Patriots can get to Campbell and slow down the passing game, they should be able to come away with a victory this week.

Key to Raiders Win

The Raiders need to run the ball and keep it out of Tom Brady's hands. If the Raiders are able to dominate on the ground, they will be able to wear down the Patriots defense and keep their own defense fresh.

Getting a victory here would be huge for the Raiders, who would be 3-1 after the first four weeks of the season.

Prediction

New England 34
Oakland Raiders 27