NFL Picks And Predictions Week 7: Chiefs Vs. Raiders

Kansas City gets the first crack at the new-look Raiders with Carson Palmer, who is expected to start this week. Judging by the expert picks around the Web, Oakland is expected to make a seamless transition with their new quarterback in his first game this season. Or maybe no one trusts the Chiefs, like at all.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King talked about the Palmer angle in his weekly picks:

Have to admit I'm rooting very hard for Carson Palmer to start, for the Just Win (Now), Baby Raiders. It seems a good bet he might. Imagine yourself as Hue Jackson. Even when you got this job and Jason Campbell was the quarterback, and Campbell was playing pretty well, you thought, "I'd really like Carson to be my quarterback." Then you trade the steep price of a first- and second-round pick for him (steep? Kilimanjaro-ish), and you begin to think whether you can teach Palmer enough of the offense for him to know 10 pass plays and how to hand off to Darren McFadden 31 times. I can imagine Jackson thinking, "I've just been handed the greatest Christmas present of my life, and told to not open it until New Year's Day. Uh, to blazes with that." Play him, Hue.

That's a lot of words to say that Palmer should start and that it doesn't have to be that taxing for him.

ESPN.com's mega-panel is leaning 6-2 in favor of the Raiders, with Ron Jaworski and Seth Wickersham picking the Chiefs (or picking against the in-transition Raiders). Four out of five CBSSports.com experts predict a Raiders win.

SB Nation's Andrew Sharp is picking Oakland in his weekly NFL picks column, too.

For more on this matchup, visit our Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride and our Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride.