Raiders News: Betting Odds Predict Raiders To Finish Last In AFC West

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
3 Min Read
Jan 7, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels watches from the sidelines against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders have made moves this offseason in hopes of returning to their playoff form from two seasons ago and, ultimately, competing amongst the NFL’s elite. There are certainly reasons to be optimistic about what the Raiders can accomplish this season, but one ongoing thing pointing against them is being in the AFC West.

The Raiders’ division is one of the toughest in the NFL led by the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is the standard bearer at the league’s premier position. The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the best young QBs as well in Justin Herbert and are looking to build on their playoff appearance last season while the Denver Broncos made a huge coaching change in bringing in Sean Payton.

Needless to say, the road won’t be an easy one for the Raiders and the gambling odds reflect that. Based on the odds from Bet Online.AG, the Raiders are expected to finish last in the division, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press:

The Chiefs and Chargers being ahead of the Raiders makes a lot of sense considering what each accomplished last season. As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, the Chiefs are going to be favorites more often than not, and the Chargers still have a lot of talent and will undoubtedly be looking to erase the memory of last season’s playoff loss and go on a real run this season.

The Broncos being ahead of the Raiders is worth a discussion, however. The Raiders did finish ahead of Denver last and made a number of promising moves. The addition of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers in free agency as well as the drafting of tight end Michael Mayer gives the Raiders offense a big boost, though the success will ultimately come down to new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo being on the field and operating the offense at a high level.

There is also some potential on defense as well with the drafting of Tyree Wilson and Chandler Jones looking to bounce back as well as other potential signings that could be coming as well. Denver added Payton as a coach, but Russell Wilson was abysmal last season so who knows how much Payton can bring out of him. Whatever the case, the AFC West will be a battle this year, and the Raiders will be motivated to prove a lot of doubters wrong.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.