NFL Picks Week 7: Raiders Will Get Just Enough from Carson Palmer to Beat Chiefs

By the time the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs kick off on Sunday, Carson Palmer will have been a Raider for just four and a half days.

Nevertheless, all signs point towards Palmer being the Raiders' starting quarterback this weekend, which you have to say fits quite well. Only the Silver and Black would be bold enough to give up potentially two first round picks for Palmer, and only the Silver and Black would start him despite a bare minimum of practice time.

For what it's worth, the oddsmakers still favor the Raiders to win the game. The line varies depending on who you ask, but the folks at Sportsbook have the Raiders favored by five. Had Jason Campbell not gotten hurt, the spread would probably be bigger.

Indeed, the bright side for Palmer and the Raiders is that the Chiefs are not a very good team. They may be winners of two in a row, but it is certainly worth noting that those wins came over the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts, who have one win between them.

Whatever you do, don't expect Hue Jackson to turn Palmer loose on Sunday. The Raiders run the ball more often than any team in the league, and that's not going to change.

The Chiefs have done well against the run in the last couple of weeks, but they will be tested against Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, both of whom can expect plenty of work on Sunday. They can wear a defense down like few other running back duos in the league, and I think the Chiefs are going to be no exception. They're going to have to fight to get stops.

If McFadden and Bush can get it done on the ground, they are going to make things that much easier for Palmer. All he really has to do for the bulk of his time on the field is avoid making mistakes. That was something that Jason Campbell did very well, and Oakland's offensive system worked just fine as a result.

Defensively, it won't be at all surprising if the Raiders end up having a tough time keeping surprise star Jackie Battle in check. The Raiders have been very good against the run in each of their last two games, but you just can't trust a trend like that to continue given their notorious struggles against the run.

In addition, don't underestimate Matt Cassel. He got off to a rough start, but he was last seen throwing four touchdown passes against the Colts. He's not elite, but he is the kind of quarterback who can spell trouble for a Raiders defense that has had well-documented issues with its secondary.

Ultimately, I think this is a game that is going to be very close in the fourth quarter. The Raiders will need Palmer to step up, and I think he will.

In fact, here's a bold prediction: A late touchdown pass from Palmer will end up being the difference.

Raiders 24, Chiefs 17