SOURCE: Excerpt from Los Angeles Times

Behind The Lines

With six consecutive victories against the point spread, the Jacksonville Jaguars are on a roll for NFL bettors who like to place money behind positive trends.

Jacksonville, 10-4 overall and against the spread, opened this week as an 11-point home favorite over the Oakland Raiders and the line had increased to 13 by Tuesday.

Coach Jack Del Rio has done a great job of putting together the Jaguars, who have the same record against the spread as the undefeated New England Patriots.

Only Green Bay (11-2-1) and Cleveland (11-3) have covered the line more than the Jaguars, who are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games as a home favorite.

For the Raiders, 4-10 overall and 6-8 against the spread, Sunday's game will be the third time this season that they've been double-digit underdogs and the fifth time the Raiders have been underdogs by at least 9½ points.

But Oakland, which has been favored in only four games this season, has a couple of positive trends working in its favor.

The Raiders are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games against AFC opponents, including last week against Indianapolis. Oakland was a 9½-point home underdog and covered in a 21-14 loss to the Colts.

The hottest action for Jacksonville's game against the Raiders?

Check out the over/under, which is listed at 39 combined points.

The over is 7-0-1 in the Jaguars' last eight games and 4-0-1 in their last five games against AFC opponents. The over is also 4-1 in the Raiders' last five games overall and 4-1 in their last five games as an underdog.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who clinched the NFC South title last week, are listed as seven-point road favorites over the San Francisco 49ers.

However, the Buccaneers have not won a game on the West Coast since they defeated Oakland, 48-21, in the Super Bowl in San Diego (January 2003).

Since then, Tampa Bay has lost twice at San Francisco and once at Arizona, San Diego, Oakland and Seattle.