The Oakland Raiders seemed to shake off the rust after beating the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night, and look like they should control their own fate if they want to win the AFC West. They have a game over the Chargers, Broncos and Chiefs, and they should have some good hope this week when they take on a rebuilding Minnesota Vikings team playing on short rest. A Thursday night team playing a Monday night team seems a bit unfair from the NFL scheduling honchos.
The Raiders are surprisingly not favored in this contest though. Despite the fact they're playing in pretty ideal conditions in a dome and don't have to worry about the elements, Oakland is either in a pick'em, a one point underdog or a three point underdogs depending on which book you look at. Apparently no one is quite sold on Carson Palmer quite yet on winning consistently in this one. And of course the status of Darren McFadden still remains heavily in doubt. There are lots of variables you have to factor in before you can really think about picking Oakland.
To discuss the Raiders, go to Silver and Black Pride. To discuss the Vikings, go to Daily Norseman.