The Oakland Raiders will travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in the Battle of the Bay. These two longtime rivals will be featured on Thursday Night Football to kick off week nine of the NFL season. This will be the 14th all-time meeting between the Niners and Raiders, with Oakland holding a slim 7-6 record in the rivalry.
The Oakland Raiders have struggled in their first season under head coach Jon Gruden. The Raiders bring a 1-6 record into this game and sit in last place in the AFC West. Oakland’s lone win of the season came against the struggling Cleveland Browns. The 49ers have dealt with a ton of injuries this season, and come into this game with a 1-7 record, the worst in the NFL. San Francisco has lost six straight games after beating the Lions in week two. The 49ers are -3.0 in this matchup against the Raiders.
Niners Need Production From Beathard
C.J. Beathard was forced into the starting quarterback role after Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Beathard is averaging just 182 passing yards per game this season and has completed just 60 percent of his passes. The former Iowa quarterback has been sacked 18 times already this season, which has led to his lack of production and accuracy.
San Francisco is giving up an average of 29.5 points per game this season, which is the fourth-worst average in the NFL. The Niners have forced just five turnovers on defense, which has given opponents the opportunity to sustain drives. San Francisco had a chance to win last week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals but gave up a late touchdown to Josh Rosen and the Arizona Cardinals.
Oakland Looking For Running Game
The Oakland Raiders’ running game has taken a huge hit since Marshawn Lynch went down with an injury. The Raiders are averaging just 94 rushing yards per game which is one of the lowest averages in the NFL. Oakland has just two rushing touchdowns all season, with one of those coming from Marshawn Lynch. The Raiders will look to find balance on offense against the 49ers in this game.
The Raiders just recently traded Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys which will hurt their passing attack. Quarterback Derek Carr is throwing the ball a ton this season, averaging more than 275 passing yards per game. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson is averaging 14.7 yards per catch in his first season with the Raiders.
San Fran Beats Oakland on TNF
The San Francisco 49ers have been competitive in most games all season, but have only been able to break through one time. The Raiders look like a complete mess in Gruden’s return to the sidelines and appear to be giving up on the season. Home field advantage will be a huge factor in this game, and San Francisco gets that edge. Look for the Niners to beat the Raiders and pick up their second win of the season. Bet the San Francisco 49ers -3.0 over the Raiders on Thursday Night Football.
