Raiders Preview: Raiders Looking For New Coach Bump Against Lowly Giants

Jeff Spiegel
Jeff Spiegel
6 Min Read
Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) catches the ball with pressure form New York Giants cornerback Logan Ryan (23) in the second half at MetLife Stadium.

In English soccer, there’s a widely accepted idea called the “new manager bounce,” in which a team’s performance seems to always perk up as soon as a new guy takes charge. While the idea hasn’t quite made its way across the pond, Mark Davis and the Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that the effect has this Sunday against the New York Giants.

Normally, if a coach gets fired, it’s because the team stinks, and so expecting a positive result seems foolish — but in this case, I’m not so sure we know that this Raiders team stinks. We know they have talented players in some of the most critical positions — and by all accounts, the culture created by Josh McDaniels might have been the team’s biggest downfall.

With new head coach Antonio Pierce already making a positive impact in that regard — and making a critical change at quarterback — Sunday will be an interesting barometer for what might be reasonable to expect from this group moving forward. At quarterback, rookie Aidan O’Connell takes over and hopes to build off of an up-and-down debut a few weeks ago against the Chargers. When it comes to actual throws, he’s clearly the team’s best option under center — the question mark remains his ability to avoid negative plays.

In spite of all the turmoil and change, the Raiders are actually favorites on Sunday against the 2-6 Giants (who get quarterback Daniel Jones back on Sunday). In light of that, let’s get to some picks… (Odds courtesy of BetOnline.AG)

Last Week: 2-3, -1u (Season: 19-21-1, -.09u)

We’re officially in the red on the season, but maybe the new manager bounce applies to this space as well? 

Antonio Pierce, Raiders
Aug 26, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebackers coach Antonio Pierce watches from the sidelines against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 23-6. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders UNDER 20.5 points (-140)

While I think the offense will eventually be better, promoting the quarterbacks coach mid-week and starting a rookie seems like it could be a recipe for disaster from a scoring perspective. Give me the team total under (even with the extra juice) as my lock of the week.

Dexter Lawrence, Giants
September 21, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Dexter Lawrence OVER .5 sacks (+110)

Lawrence has three sacks in his last two games, and in his first career start, O’Connell’s biggest issue was taking way too many sacks (seven!). I wish the odds were a bit better, but I think O’Connell lets it rip on Sunday, which means a lot of chances to take a sack.

Davante Adams, Raiders
Sep 24, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Davante Adams OVER 6.5 receptions (-105)

If you’re the new offensive coordinator for the Raiders, is there a bigger priority this Sunday than to make sure Adams isn’t throwing his helmet at the end of the game? Look for a lot of quick hitters to get Adams involved and O’Connell some confidence.

Aidan O'Connell, Raiders
Oct 22, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (4) runs off the field against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Aidan O’Connell OVER 216.5 passing yards (-115)

We’re giving you six picks this week — and of course, that’s not because we’re chasing some wins here! — but I like both of these numbers. The Giants are 24th in rushing defense this year, and what better way to break in a rookie than by pounding the rock? And once you’ve done that, look for some bombs over the top to take advantage of a defense that is probably daring the rookie to beat them.

Saquon Barkley, Giants
Oct 29, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) reacts after being stopped short of a first down by the New York Jets in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants TO WIN (+112)

The spread is somewhere between one and two points depending on where you look, but with Daniel Jones back, I think the Giants are simply better. I’m honestly shocked the Raiders are favored here, and new manager bounce or not, I’ll take the plus money and ride the Giants to cover or push for the fourth week in a row.

Check out all the odds for this game at BetOnline.AG!

Information

Jeff Spiegel was raised in California but currently resides in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he worked in sports before entering journalism full time — first as a Sports Reporter and then as the Associate Editor of a small newspaper. Online, he has been writing about both the Raiders and Dodgers since 2012 — having written for DodgersNation.com and SBNation.com prior to joining both DodgerBlue.com and RaidersNewswire.com. He left full-time journalism in 2012 to become a pastor. Jeff can be found on Twitter at @JeffSpiegel. Favorite Raider This one is an easy one for me: Charles Woodson. When the Raiders drafted him, there was nothing to dislike about the guy — he was exciting and he was freaking good. Unfortunately, of course, he left after eight seasons — but when he returned in 2013 it was one of the better Raider moments of my lifetime. At that point, I didn't care how washed he was (and he wasn't!) — I just liked having him back in the silver and black. Obviously Tim Brown is another guy that was easy to love, but Woodson is the all-timer for me. As far as current, I'm still a believer in Derek Carr and think he's going to figure this all out. Favorite Raider Moment I think I'll go with the two weeks leading up to the 2001 Super Bowl. As a kid, I remember getting the newspaper every morning to read what they were talking about, clipping out the articles to keep for later. It was obviously far more exciting than the Super Bowl itself, but I'll never forget those moments of hope leading up to the Super Bowl. I referenced it above, but second to that was probably the return of Charles Woodson in 2013 — I just loved the guy, and never dreamed he'd actually come back.