New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders Sun. Oct. 2, 2011 4:15 p.m. EST

Last week Tom Brady and the seemingly unbeatable New England Patriots were exposed and lost their first game of the season against the most unlikely of opponents. With the division rival Buffalo Bills taking down Bill Belichick and company, the Patriots have shown the weak in their armor and could be in danger of losing two straight games as they will have to face off against a very good Oakland Raiders squad in Week 4.

Even though many people didn’t buy into the fact that the Oakland Raiders could be the real deal after the beat their arch rivals in the Denver Broncos in Week 1 and then losing in dramatic fashion to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, a lot of heads were turned after Darren McFadden and company beat the New York Jets convincingly in Week 3, 34-24.

Not only are the Oakland Raiders for real this season with an upgraded defense and a potent offense, but they seem ready to breakout of their funk and finally making a push for the playoffs. Along with the possibility of making the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Raiders look like they can contend for the AFC West division title.

As of right now, the New England Patriots have been favored to get the win over the Oakland Raiders in Week 4 with a -5 point spread. Despite the fact that the Patriots will be looking to get back on track with a big win over the Raiders, this game will be played in Oakland and I believe this matchup might very well come down to the wire with a game-winning field goal being the deciding factor.

Take the Raiders at +5.

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