Tonight’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders will be best remembered as the final Bay Area meeting before Oakland moves to Las Vegas. Somewhat unexpectedly it is going to have little bearing on the team’s seasons given that they have a combined record of 2-13 and a loser will become favourites to get the number one draft pick in 2019.
Both teams entered the season with moderately high expectations, (although in our preseason predictions we had them both struggling). However, the 49ers lost their rising star quarterback Jimmy Garopollo in week three, and Oakland appears to have entered rebuild mode having traded away several of their starters since John Gruden took over.
Neither have any realistic chances of making the playoffs however they will be playing for pride and local rivalries tend to be quite intense. 49ers are coming off a rather dreary 18-15 loss to fellow divisional strugglers Arizona at the weekend, while Oakland did show some fight in their 42-28 loss to Colts, a game in which they led twice.
In the 15 previous meetings, Oakland has won seven so 49ers win would be a fitting way to end this local rivalry, and they are 2.5-point favourites.
We expect the bookies to have got this one right and Predict that San Francisco will win this by at least a touchdown.
Mike Brake/Shutterstock
