The Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots square off this weekend in a match-up of 2-1 teams. Though they will play host in Sunday's game, the Raiders are four-point underdogs in the opening spread.
The Patriots have averaged 34.7 points over the team's first three games while the Raiders have averaged 30.7 points per game. Both squads rank in the top six in scoring (the Patriots rank second and the Raiders rank sixth). The two teams are radically different in their offensive composition though: the Patriots have scored a majority of their touchdowns so far through the air (84.62%) while the Raiders have scored most of their points via the run (72.73%).
Both squads also rank among the league's worst on defense. The Patriots are 27th in the league in points allowed (26.3 points per game) while the Raiders are 28th (27.3 points per game). With such high-octane offenses and below-average defenses, this game will be a shootout.
The outcome of the game will be variable until the very end since both teams have the potential to score late. Don't expect to know one way or another about how you (or your friends who might be betting on this contest) fared on the four-point spread until the clock shows all zeroes.