I am reluctant to pick against the Oakland Raiders this week.
Yes, they are 2-11. But the truth is, Oakland is playing better of late. It has won two of the past three games and is coming off a dominant 24-13 win over Bay Area rival San Francisco.
The Raiders’ first win came over Sunday’s opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Oakland on Nov. 20. The Raiders jumped out to a big lead but saw Kansas City take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Raiders answered with a great drive to win the game.
The Raiders know how to beat the Chiefs and Kansas City is floundering, having lost three straight to drop to 7-6. This appears to be a winnable game for the Raiders.
Yet, what troubles me is that the game is in Kansas City. The Chiefs are 4-2 at home and Arrowhead Stadium is not easy place to play for any team.
While Oakland has had some recent success, it has come at home. The Raiders are 0-7 (including a "home" game in London) away from Oakland this season. They’ve have lost 13 of their past 14 games that started at 10 a.m. PT.
And remember what happened the last time the Raiders played after a win? They were embarrassed 52-0 at St. Louis two weeks ago.
But take the Raiders having trouble away from home, coupled with the Chiefs being desperate? I see Kansas City winning a competitive game against an improved Oakland team.
My prediction: Chiefs 24, Raiders 20