The bye week proved to be a very good one for the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only were they able to sit back and get healthy, but they were actually able to improve their standing in the AFC.
A number of contenders lost on Sunday, including the Bengals, Browns, Colts and Chargers. With the Raiders already at five wins, their odds to make the playoffs in 2021 actually rose. However, oddsmakers aren’t as convinced that this is a playoff team.
Their current win total odds on Tipico sit at 8.5, which is significantly lower than the Chargers (10.5) despite having one more win. The site gives them basically a 50-50 shot at making the playoffs as eight other teams have better odds to win the conference than the Raiders.
Heading into Week 9, it will likely take at least nine wins to make the playoffs in the AFC. There are currently 11 teams in the conference with at least four wins, including four in the AFC West.
But can the Raiders go over their 8.5 win total set by Tipico? That seems doable, especially considering they already have five wins. With a win over the Giants in Week 9, it seems very likely they can find three more victories on their schedule.
If you like to bet on the NFL, we recommend taking the OVER on wins for the Raiders. This feels like a 9-8 team, at worst, this season.
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