Best Bet- Raiders Miss the Playoffs (-450)
Worst Bet- Raiders to Win the Super Bowl (+6000)
The Oakland Raiders are coming off a less than stellar season, and they have struggled for much of the past two years now. It’s now year two under Jon Gruden and Oakland will need to improve somehow before their big move in 2020 to Las Vegas. The Raiders were able to secure the fourth pick in the 2019 Draft and in a bit of a bold move selected Clelin Ferrell, a defensive end from Clemson. Derek Carr returns at quarterback and will be looking for a stronger campaign as his last two seasons have been like a roller coaster.
The Raiders added some established talent in free agency as they look to improve a defense that was awful last season as they finished near the bottom in the league in yards allowed. Lamarcus Joyner is an intriguing add at safety, while a head-scratching decision was the free agent signing of Vontaze Burfict who has had a history of questionable tactics on the field. Nevertheless, the Raiders’ defense should be much improved with the depth they were able to build up in the offseason.
Derek Carr will have plenty of young and star talent around him with the biggest offseason addition arriving in the form of star wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown’s star power is unmatched, but some of his recent antics are puzzling. Are the Raiders really a better fit than his former home in Pittsburgh? Time will tell. Regardless, adding Antonio Brown completely changes what the Raiders’ offense could do in the coming season. Add in JJ Nelson for some depth and Oakland has a decent looking group of receivers. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs will compete for the starting job against veteran back Doug Martin. The Raiders will have to find a back that works as the Marshawn Lynch era is officially over. It could be a plug and play situation to start the season.
If anything, winning more than four games in 2019 would be a good accomplishment for the struggling Raiders. They have so many faithful fans in Oakland, it would only be right if the Raiders could give them one final strong season as a sendoff. Time will tell if Oakland has anything to say in 2019.
Raiders Win Total: O/U 6 Wins
2018 was awful for the Raiders as they struggled all season, ultimately finishing 4-12, their second straight losing season. It was also their third 4-12 record in their last seven campaigns. It was also their first last-place finish in the division in four seasons. It’s hard to believe that only three season’s ago the Raiders returned to the playoffs for the first time since they lost in Super Bowl XXVII against Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Bucs back in 2002. That recent playoff appearance was a strong season until it fell apart when Derek Carr got hurt, and their strong 12-4 season ended in the Wild Card round.
Since that 2016 season, the Raiders have won a total of 10 games in the last two years. They need production at the receiver position as their leading receiver in the last two seasons was tight end Jared Cook, which was a nice story, but it wasn’t helping them win games. If this team wants to win more than five to six games, then they need receivers to make plays and score touchdowns. The Raiders finished 28th in scoring last season and were nowhere near the level they were only a couple seasons ago. The Raiders were the worst team in the AFC last season, and it was proven each week. Their best win from a season ago was an overtime win against the Cleveland Browns. It doesn’t seem like this team will have much growth this season at this point. Under six wins is a comfortable play, as oddsmakers are giving them too much credit for the addition of Brown.
Odds To Make The Playoffs: Yes +325, No -450
This era of the NFL hasn’t been very kind to the Oakland Raiders. They have only made the playoffs four times in the last 19 years, and only once in the last 10 years. They have been the worst team in the AFC West more often than not. Their most recent playoff birth came in the 2016 season when they were able to go 12-4 and finished second in the division. It has been a complete drop off since that playoff birth. Going 6-10 in 2017, and following that with a 4-12 record last season. The Raiders look the furthest away from playoff chances in not only the AFC West but in the conference as a whole. It’s hard to go from being at the very bottom of the league to in contention in just one season. The only real outlier is the Browns as they have turned into a division favorite in just two seasons in the AFC North, but that isn’t anywhere near this division, and the Raiders don’t have all the young talent that Cleveland is working with.
Chances are that with the Raiders they have a better chance of winning four games then they do of making the playoffs this season. Stay away from this bet, the Raiders aren’t playoff worthy.
Odds To Win the AFC West: +1100
Oddsmakers somehow think that even after going 4-12 the Raiders have a better shot at winning the AFC West than the Denver Broncos, which is quite head-scratching. The only reason why this might be is that the Raiders have their established QB, plus the addition of Antonio Brown may make the Raiders an intriguing team, but we are still talking about a team that was dead-last in the AFC last season.
I don’t see the Chiefs and Chargers falling off very much so the only real possibility is at best third in the division because at this point the Broncos look like the only team Oakland could compete within this division. Only time will tell, and who knows I could be completely wrong. The Raiders would be a solid longshot pick, but it’s a large mountain to climb.
Odds to Win AFC Championship: +2800
The Raiders have about four teams they have to jump over if they even want consideration for a shot at even getting to the playoffs let alone making it all the way to AFC Championship. The 10th best odds of winning the conference could usually make someone feel good about their chances, but after a 4-12 season, it would take a drastic change atop the whole conference for a team like the Raiders to become a contender. I could be wrong, because in the NFL crazy things always happen, but Oakland still looks far off. Not a chance on this one.
Odds To Win Super Bowl: +6000
The Raiders are right at the same chances as fellow AFC West rival the Denver Broncos, at +6000, which makes them among the large group of teams that are longshots but could still make something happen. There are just too many other good teams across the board to think that Oakland is going to jump them and make a trip to something they haven’t been to since the 2002 season. Especially when they have only made the playoffs once since then. Better luck next season, maybe they will be lucky when they move to Las Vegas.
