Monday Night Football: Raiders Host the Rams in Late Tilt

All Eyes on Gruden’s Return to Raiders

The Los Angeles Rams and the Oakland Raiders face off in the late game on Monday Night Football. Oakland Alameda Coliseum is the site of the clash and kickoff is scheduled for 10:20 pm EST. Oddsmakers opened the Rams as 2-point favorites versus the Raiders, while the game’s total opened at 50. The Rams are now 6-point favorites. The total is at 47.5. Jon Gruden‘s second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders was supposed to begin with a matchup between two of the NFL’s best defensive players. Oakland squashed that showdown. They traded superstar Khalil Mack last weekend to the Cleveland Browns. They will need to receive phenomenal efforts from his replacements when it hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. Oakland’s defense was suspect at best with Mack. It figures to be considerably weaker with him gone. Gruden was given a 10-year, $100 million contract to return to the sideline for the first time since 2008 with Tampa Bay. He never even got to meet Mack. Mack is a three-time Pro Bowler and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. He was a holdout during preseason before being dealt to Chicago. Mack signed to a six-year, $141 million deal – last Saturday.

Raiders Will Have High Powered Offense

Derek Carr passed for 3,496 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. He joined Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards and 20 scores in each of their first four seasons. Carr lost one of his favorite targets in Michael Crabtree. He gained a new one in Jordy Nelson. He was signed to a two-year contract in March after being released by Green Bay. Nelson recorded at least 1,250 receiving yards in four of nine seasons. Bruce Irvin has been moved from linebacker to defensive end. It is in an effort to compensate for the departure of Mack. The team also hopes to receive contributions from newcomer Tank Carradine and rookies Maurice Hurst, P.J. Hall and Arden Key. Oakland may need to rely on Doug Martin. He was a two-time 1,400-yard rusher with Tampa Bay. Marshawn Lynch has a groin issue and was limited during Thursday’s practice. He is questionable for Monday’s contest.

Rams Looking for Big Season in 2018

The Rams were able to come to terms with their defensive stud a day before the Raiders parted with theirs. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald inked a six-year, $135 million contract last Friday. Donald is a four-time Pro Bowler who was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. He was also Player of the Year in 2017. Los Angeles is looking to build off a season in which it captured its first division title since 2003. It was with a first-year coach in Sean McVay and an inexperienced quarterback in the 23-year-old Jared Goff. McVay stated on Thursday that Donald is ready to face Oakland despite missing the entire preseason due to his holdout. Donald leads all NFL defensive tackles with 39 sacks since 2014. He has proven to be a fast starter as he recorded two sacks in the 2015 season opener and one in his 2017 debut. Goff led Los Angeles to a league-best average of 29.9 points per game last year. He was kept out of all of the team’s preseason games and may rely heavily on Todd Gurley.  Gurley led the NFL in 2017 with 29 rushing touchdowns en route to being named the Offensive Player of the Year. PREDICTION: Rams 44, Raiders 24

Recent Form

Los Angeles Rams

Oakland Raiders

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	28.88	3	23.31	20
Awy Team Road Passing vs Home Team Home Passing Defense	221.25	12	232.00	21
Away Team Road Rushing vs Home Team Home Rushing Defense	136.63	2	97.75	11
Hme Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	18.81	22	20.88	12
Home Team Home Passing vs Away Team Road Passing Defense	235.13	17	234.00	20
Home Team Home Rushing vs Away Team Road Rushing Defense	117.38	15	130.75	28

Head To Head Summary

Head To Head Detail

NFL Betting Odds & Trends

Los Angeles Rams
LA Rams is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Rams is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Rams’s last 6 games
LA Rams is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
LA Rams is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Rams’s last 8 games on the road
LA Rams is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Rams’s last 6 games when playing Oakland
LA Rams is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
LA Rams is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland

Oakland Raiders
Oakland is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Okland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland’s last 5 games
Oakland is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Oakland is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland’s last 6 games at home
Oakland is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing LA Rams
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland’s last 6 games when playing LA Rams
Oakland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Rams
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Rams

Los Angeles Rams

Oakland Raiders

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