After a disappointing Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots, the Raiders saw their playoff odds drop by a decent margin. Heading into that contest, the team had a 57 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight. With their loss to New England, their playoff odds sit at only 42 percent.
Despite their 2-1 record, the site isn’t super optimistic about them making the playoffs and there is good reason for it. The path for the Raiders to make the postseason is limited due to the juggernaut that is the Kansas City Chiefs. Sitting at 3-0, the Chiefs appear to be a lock to win the division and could easily win 13 or 14 games this season.
That means the only way the Raiders can make the playoffs is through the wild card. While the league did add another wild-card spot this year, the Raiders will be competing with the likes of the Steelers, Browns, Colts, Chargers, Bills and Patriots for one of those spots. Given that they now don’t have a tie-breaker with New England, earning one of those playoff spots is even more difficult.
Heading into the season, the Raiders knew that their early-season schedule would be tough. But if they managed to come out of the first six games of the year at 3-3 or better, they would give themselves a great shot at contending in the second half of the year.
A win against Buffalo in Las Vegas would be a massive victory for the Raiders and their playoff chances. If they are able to steal that game, their playoff odds would rise to nearly 60 percent, per FiveThirtyEight. But with a loss, those odds drop down into the 30s. Needless to say, Week 4 is a big week for the Las Vegas Raiders.
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