Two of the worst teams in the
National Football League will square off on Thursday night in San Francisco.
The 49ers will host the
Oakland Raiders in a battle of one win teams through the first eight weeks of the season. These two longtime rivals have not met since the 2014 season, in a game that was won by the Oakland Raiders
The San Francisco 49ers currently have the worst record in the NFL, coming into this game with a 1-7 mark. San Francisco has lost six straight games after beating the Detroit Lions in week two of the regular season. The Oakland Raiders are 1-6, but have lost their last three games since beating the Cleveland Browns earlier this season. The Raiders are in last place in the AFC West Division. The San Francisco 49ers are three-point favorites over the Raiders in this game.
Raiders Defense Comes Up Short
Things have not gone well for the Oakland Raiders defense since trading away
Khalil Mack in the offseason. The Raiders are giving up a whopping 31.1 points per game this season, which is the second worst scoring defense in the NFL. Oakland has failed to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season, collecting just seven sacks through their first seven games. If Oakland is going to turn their season around, defense must be their top priority.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has thrown for a ton of yards this season, but has struggled with consistency. Carr has thrown for over 2,000 yards and ten touchdowns, but has also thrown eight interceptions. The Raiders have just two rushing touchdowns this season, and the lack of a consistent running game has hurt them since Marshawn Lynch went down with an injury.
Niners Lacking Offense Playmakers
While the Raiders have struggled with balance and consistency,
the Niners have struggled to find any playmakers on offense. San Francisco
lost quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back
Jerick McKinnon to injuries already this season, and their offense has not been the same. The Niners are averaging just 21.4 points per game this season.
Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard has played well at times this season, but there is a reason that he isn’t a starting quarterback. Beathard has completed just 60 percent of his passes this season, but has thrown eight touchdown passes. Matt Breida is averaging 5.8 yards per carry to lead the Niners running attack, but has found the end zone just twice this season. San Francisco will look to take advantage of a bad defense in this game.
San Francisco Wins on TNF
Fans outside of California likely won’t tune into this game, but it has the potential to be very competitive. Both the Niners and Raiders are looking towards the future, but each team will be dying to beat their rival in this game. Oakland has the better roster, but their lack of defense will hurt them in this game. Look for Beathard and Breida to lead the Niners to a big victory on Thursday night. Bet the San Francisco 49ers -3.0 over the Oakland Raiders.
