Taking their ball and moving to Las Vegas buys the Raiders some time. They have a new stadium, a new town, and new expectations. But with only one winning season and one playoff appearance since their 2002 Super Bowl campaign, it’s the same old Raiders. Seven wins last year was their highest total in three seasons and matched their second-highest total over the last eight. Times have been tough for the Silver and Black and the third year of Jon Gruden’s second go-round with the club shows promise. They made a lot of personnel moves, but none that signify this team is ready for a jump in the win column.
Raiders Over 7.5 Wins -104
Raiders Under 7.5 Wins -116
2020 Las Vegas Raiders Preview
The black and silver cloud has been hanging over the Raiders for nearly two decades. Their only winning season in the last 17 came in 2016 when they won 12 games and tied for the division lead. They lost Derek Carr at the end of that campaign, dropped the final regular season tilt to lose the division on a tie-breaker, and went quietly in the wild card round. Carr hasn’t been the same since returning from his injury and the neither has the offense.
The Raiders failed to consistently score points last season averaging only 19.6 points per game despite having the 11th ranked offense in terms of yards. Carr had nice numbers completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,054 yards with 21 touchdowns. The run game showed promise behind 2018 top draft pick Josh Jacobs. That’s all good, but points win games and Carr didn’t deliver. Since taking over as the starter Carr hasn’t been pushed. That changed when the Raiders brought in former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota.
The trade of Khalil Mack is still haunting the Raiders. The defense was leaky last season allowing 24.2 points and they forced just 15 turnovers, the second-fewest in the NFL. Several new faces were brought in to help stabilize the group. Cory Littleton was a disruptor with the Rams and is slotted at one linebacker spot. The secondary got a makeover after the team ranked 25th against the pass and had just nine interceptions.
Week 1: Raiders at Panthers, Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Week 2: Saints at Raiders, Monday, September 21, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 3: Raiders at Patriots, Sunday, September 27, 1 p.m. ET
Week 4: Bills at Raiders, Sunday, October 4, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 5: Raiders at Chiefs, Sunday, October 11, 1 p.m. ET
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Buccaneers at Raiders, Sunday, October 25, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 8: Raiders at Browns, Sunday, November 1, 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: Raiders at Chargers, Sunday, November 8, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 10: Broncos at Raiders, Sunday, November 15, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 11: Chiefs at Raiders, Sunday, November 22, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 12: Raiders at Falcons, Sunday, November 29, 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: Raiders at Jets, Sunday, December 6, 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: Colts at Raiders, Sunday, December 13, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 15: Chargers at Raiders, Thursday, December 17, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 16: Dolphins at Raiders, Saturday/Sunday, December 26/27, TBA
Week 17: Raiders at Broncos, Sunday, January 3, 4:25 p.m. ET
2020 Las Vegas Raiders Schedule Analysis
Four primetime home games are an indication that the league and its partners like Vegas. They certainly aren’t showing the Raiders because of their greatness. Those matchups also have some intrigue. The first against Drew Brees and the NFC hopeful Saints opens the new Allegiant Stadium. Tom Brady and the Bucs, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and a matchup with another AFC West rival Los Angeles are the others.
All in all it’s a favorable schedule. The Raiders alternate between road and home through the first seven games and play three in a row in Vegas before closing the slate at Denver. And for the first time since 2015 they won’t head across the pond for an International Series matchup. Carr has struggled in cold weather games so he’s jubilant that only two contests can potentially face adverse conditions. As far as the opponents go, the Raiders are on the same path as division opponents LA and Denver. Beating them is a must to reach .500.
The Final Verdict
The Raiders were active in free agency and added a potential game-breaker in Henry Ruggs with their first draft pick. For the most part they were lateral moves and none of the newcomers, except for maybe Ruggs, will make a significant impact. I see eight wins as the ceiling, and that’s if everything goes well.
NFL Odds: Las Vegas Raiders Under 7.5 Wins
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