There appeared to be a legitimate chance the Las Vegas Raiders would use either the No. 12 or No. 19 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on their next franchise quarterback heading into the 2020 NFL offseason. After the team signed Marcus Mariota in free agency, it squashed that possibility as head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock decided to use their first-round capital to address other positions of need.
The quarterback situation now appears fairly set heading toward the 2020 season; however, we will take a look at the recent odds posted by BetMGM on who will be the Week 1 starter for the Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 starter: Best bets
Derek Carr (-589)
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday, April 28 at 12 p.m. ET.
Carr is a monster favorite to open the season as the team’s starter. In his second season with Gruden as the head coach, Carr improved on his completion percentage (70.4%), yards per attempt (7.9) and passer rating (100.8).
While there are still areas of his game where he needs to improve, the Raiders added speed and talent to their wide receiver corps this offseason to help him out. Unless an injury happens between now and Week 1, Carr will be the team’s starting quarterback. The odds are chalky, but Carr is a safe bet here to begin the season as the starter.
New to sports betting? A $10 futures bet on Carr to be the Week 1 starter would return a profit of $1.70.
Marcus Mariota (+350)
After being replaced by Ryan Tannehill as the starter for the Tennessee Titans last season, Mariota hit free agency and signed a two-year deal with the Raiders to be the team’s backup quarterback. It’s an excellent deal for Mariota as he is now the highest-paid backup QB in the NFL.
In normal circumstances, Mariota might have a chance to beat out Carr in the offseason for the starting job. With teams not holding minicamps or OTAs, Mariota just won’t see many reps in the Raiders’ offense ahead of the 2020 season. For that reason, he won’t beat out Carr in time for Week 1. While the odds are enticing, PASS on Mariota to start the season as the Raiders’ No. 1 quarterback.
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Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 starter: Long shots
Cam Newton (+2000)
The first non-Raiders player to appear on the list is the former Carolina Panthers’ star and MVP winner. Carolina released Newton early this offseason as they decided to sign Teddy Bridgewater to be the face of the franchise. Newton is currently a free agent and there hasn’t been a lot of noise about a potential landing spot, either.
While Gruden can never say “no” to enticing quarterback prospects, there just doesn’t appear to be a spot open for Newton. If Carr or Mariota were to suffer an injury at any point in time, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders called Newton and his agent, but as for now, PASS on Newton being the team’s starter in Week 1 or at any point in the 2020 season.
Andy Dalton (+5000)
Finally, Dalton appears on the list as a potential starter for the Raiders in Week 1. Like Newton, this one doesn’t make much sense as Dalton is currently on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster and the Raiders would need to make a trade to acquire him. For Dalton to start for Las Vegas, it likely means something happened to both Carr and Mariota. For that reason, it doesn’t seem very likely. PASS on Dalton to become the team’s starting quarterback in 2020, despite the lofty 50-1 odds.
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