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In a certain sense, the Las Vegas Raiders beat expectations in 2021. After Jon Gruden resigned in the wake of an email scandal, interim head coach Rich Bisaccia led the team to a 10-7 final record and a playoff berth, the Raiders’ first in half a decade. Still, despite reaching the postseason, the franchise opted not to retain Bisaccia, hiring longtime New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to guide Las Vegas into the post-Gruden era.
Let’s take a look at the latest DraftKings Sportsbook lines and see if the Raiders can beat their 2022 win total. The odds below are as of March 28, 2022.
AFC West win totals
Kansas City Chiefs: 11 (Over -145, Under +125)
Denver Broncos: 10 (Over -125, Under +105)
Los Angeles Chargers: 10 (Over -120, Under +100)
Las Vegas Raiders: 8.5 (Over -110, Under -110)
Notable offseason moves so far
In one of the biggest moves for any team this offseason, the Raiders traded their 2022 first- and second-round picks to the Green Bay Packers for All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams. The deal pairs Adams with tight end Darren Waller, giving Las Vegas one of the most dynamic receiving tandems in the league. On the other side of the ball, the front office added star pass rusher Chandler Jones.
Raiders prediction: under 8.5 (-110)
Inarguably, the Raiders improved at multiple important spots along the roster and have what, at least on paper, looks like a solid mesh of quarterback and offensive play-caller. Still, the AFC West has grown into a murderers’ row with the Denver Broncos finally addressing quarterback in a meaningful way (Russell Wilson) and the Los Angeles Chargers reinforcing their pass rush (Khalil Mack). Yes, Las Vegas had a winning record last season, but the path to repeating that feat appears arduous.
What moves might change our prediction?
Even with the additions on defense, the Raiders could still use some help in the secondary. If they could find a way to improve their options at cornerback despite the lack of premium draft picks, reaching the win total doesn’t seem quite as difficult.
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