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The Las Vegas Raiders had a great start to their season, going 6-3 in their first nine games. On the surface, it seemed as if the Kansas City Chiefs were finally going to have some competition. The Raiders even beat the former Super Bowl Champions in Week 5, 40-32.
Spirits were high for the team that had recently relocated to Las Vegas. However, the high hopes the Raiders had for a winning record were soon extinguished. Following a 6-3 start, the Raiders went 2-5 to close the season with an 8-8 record.
This mid-season collapse was credited to terrible defense. This was something the Raiders had struggled with for some time. Along with that, their commitment to Derek Carr seemed to hurt their chances of winning too. They closed the season with a win over the division rival Denver Broncos.
However, their 8-8 record wasn’t enough to secure them a spot in the NFL Playoffs. Now, the Raiders head into the 2021 season, hoping not to fumble their record away as they did the year before.
2021 Las Vegas Raiders Futures Betting Odds
Las Vegas Raiders Super Bowl Champion Odds: +4000
Las Vegas Raiders AFC Champion Odds: +2500
Las Vegas Raiders Win Totals Odds: Over 7 (-115) / Under 7 (-115)
Las Vegas Raiders AFC West Championship Odds: +2500
As the team who started the 2020 season with a 6-3 record, you’d imagine their odds would be higher. However, many people doubt that much will come from the Raiders in 2021. This is for a good reason. The leadership of the Raiders has been in question for some time.
On both sides of the ball, the Raiders lack true leadership. The quarterback position is something heavily debated, especially with the addition of Marcus Mariota. Pair that with one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, and you have a recipe for inconsistency.
The strange thing about these odds is the Raiders even have the worst odds to win the AFC West. That means even the Denver Broncos, a team they beat twice in 2020, has better odds to win the division. Needless to say, the odds don’t look great for the Raiders heading into 2021.
This doesn’t mean that they don’t have the ability to shock us, though. They’ve got a talented roster, and we just need to see it put to use better.
2021 Las Vegas Raiders Offseason Grade: B-
Key Additions: (CB, Nevin Lawson), (WR, Willie Snead), (DB, Casey Hayward)
Key Departures: (DE, Arden Key), (DL, David Irving), (WR, Tyrell Williams)
One of the most obvious changes to the Raiders roster was the addition of defensive backs. It’s clear now that the Raiders organization realized they had problems in the secondary. This opens up so much more for the Raiders to achieve this season.
With additions across the secondary, they finally might have solidity. This is a team that gave up 29.9 points per game in 2020, mainly due to the secondary. With the additions of Lawson and Hayward, that number should drop dramatically.
The departures on the Raiders roster are nothing compared to what they received. Arden Key was a project player that needed a great defensive ends coach. Considering the project was taking longer than they expected, they moved on.
Tyrell Williams was a serious threat but nothing more. By replacing him with Willie Snead, they get a serious threat along with a relatively good route runner.
Las Vegas Raiders 2021 Preview
The Raiders have a lot to prove in 2021, mainly to themselves. After starting the season off so well in 2020, to drop the ball like that is unforgivable. Now, they head into this season looking to prove to themselves they can be a consistent team.
This falls just as much on the coaching as the players. Head Coach Jon Gruden will have to evaluate himself this season and discover if he’s the problem.
What we expect from the Raiders is a similar record but with more consistency. We expect the Raiders to win up to nine games. The likelihood is closer to them having an 8-9 record this season. Of course, they could surprise everyone as they did last season with that 6-3 start, but we don’t anticipate it.
Las Vegas Raiders Futures Best Bets
We believe that you should avoid all bets concerning the Raiders winning any championships or titles. That means not betting on the Raiders to win the Super Bowl, the AFC Championship, or the AFC West.
This is because the talent pool and competition are too deep in the AFC for the Raiders to win. There is, however, a bet you can place on Las Vegas that could earn you some winnings.
Taking the over on the Raiders’ 7.5 wins total is the best bet to make here. They have a tough schedule but not too tough to win over 7.5. This would give you the chance to capitalize on a team still searching for an identity. More importantly, a team should be focusing on consistency.
Read our Bills team preview 2021 and Dolphins team preview 2021 next.
