Las Vegas Raiders 2024 Predictions and Odds:

Around the league, Antonio Pierce is probably viewed as a head coach who’s in over his head and undeserving of the job. Inside the Raiders’ locker room, Pierce has a fan club that includes the team’s biggest stars. It was Halloween night when Las Vegas owner Mark Davis pulled the mask off of Josh McDaniels, who went 9-16 before wearing out his welcome in less than two seasons. The firing of McDaniels fired up a team that went 5-4 with Pierce as the interim coach. Will the momentum carry over to this season? 

The Raiders’ roster looks good enough on paper, but the quarterback situation is a potential problem and will determine whether Pierce’s honeymoon in Vegas continues for another year.

 

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Offense

With veteran wideout Davante Adams as the headliner, the Raiders’ group of pass catchers could be the best in the division. In two years without Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback, Adams has totaled 203 receptions for 2,660 yards and 22 touchdowns. Aside from Adams, the Raiders are loaded with receivers Jakobi Meyers, Michael Gallup and Tre Tucker and tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers. 

The quarterback targeting those weapons will be either veteran Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell, who went 5-5 as a rookie and had eight touchdown passes with no interceptions in his final four starts. Minshew is the favorite to win the job in Week 1 due to his experience and the fact the Raiders open the season on the road against the Chargers and Ravens. 

The line, anchored by Pro Bowl tackle Kolton Miller and center Andre James, should be better than average. Leading rusher Josh Jacobs, who left for Green Bay, will be replaced by Zamir White and Alexander Mattison. Two teams in the division have elite quarterbacks and two teams (Las Vegas and Denver) have question marks at the position. If things don’t go well in September, don’t be surprised if the Raiders start rotating QBs in search of the right answer, if there is one.

Defense

Adams and Maxx Crosby are Pierce’s most vocal supporters. Crosby, a fourth-round draft pick in 2019, represents one of the few wise moves made by former coach Jon Gruden and former general manager Mike Mayock, who often bungled the draft in historic fashion. Crosby, who totaled 27 sacks the past two seasons, embodies the Raider image. He needs help up front from Christian Wilkins, a run-stuffing tackle formerly with the Dolphins, Malcolm Koonce, Byron Young and Tyree Wilson, a first-round pick who was a non-factor as a rookie. 

The Raiders boosted their sack total from 27 in 2022 to 40 last season. The middle and back end of the defense features linebackers Divine Deablo and Robert Spillane and corners Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones. After Pierce took over, the defense that was coordinated by Patrick Graham allowed only 16.0 points in the final nine games.

Outlook

Since moving from Oakland to Las Vegas, the Raiders have parted ways with two head coaches, two general managers and starting quarterbacks Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo. The Raiders went Over their win total of 7.5 last season by going 8-9 and finishing with their eighth straight victory over the Broncos. A Christmas Day upset of the Chiefs in Kansas City likely sealed the full-time job for Pierce. While a schedule with eight home games is not easy, an optimist could find seven or eight wins on it. This team will play hard for Pierce. The quarterbacks’ ability to produce remains the biggest mystery and a reason for pessimism. A recommendation Over the win total is only a lean and likely to be a coin-flip decision.

Las Vegas Raiders Pick: Over 6.5 Wins

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