Las Vegas Raiders given 5th best odds in the AFC to win Super Bowl
By Justin Fried
The Las Vegas Raiders were given the fifth-best odds in the AFC to win the Super Bowl based on ESPN’s recently released projections.
The Las Vegas Raiders made impressive strides in some ways in 2019, but they still fell short of a return to the postseason. But after a few notable additions in free agency, they plan to change that going into 2020.
And of course, that’s not even accounting for any additions that will be made in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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There is reason to be excited about this Raiders team, and recent ESPN projections seem to agree with that notion. ESPN recently released its season projections for all 32 NFL teams this past Thursday and the Raiders were given pretty favorable odds to win the Super Bowl.
Las Vegas was listed as 30-1 longshots to emerge as Super Bowl champions which actually finished as the fifth-highest mark in the AFC.
The Raiders trailed only the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and Pittsburgh Steelers as favorites to secure the elusive Lombardi Trophy. And for a franchise that hasn’t won a league championship since 1983, it would be a long time coming.
The team was also given 13-1 odds to win the AFC and 10-1 odds to win the division — the latter obviously a low projection given the presence of the defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs, in the AFC West.
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Still, the odds were good for second in their division ahead of both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos.
However, despite their flattering Super Bowl/playoff odds, the Raiders were given a very low seven-win over/under. The Raiders finished last season with a 7-9 record, and despite some offseason improvements, ESPN doesn’t project that it will translate into wins.
Only four AFC teams were given lower over/under projections, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Jacksonville Jaguars, which certainly seems a little disrespectful.
Despite having better odds to win both the AFC and the Super Bowl, the Raiders were given a lower win projection than both the Chargers and Broncos.
Take that as you will.
The Raiders were very active in free agency this year adding the likes of Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Maliek Collins, among others, to hopefully bolster what was an improved defense in 2019.
It remains to be seen whether those additions will pay off and lead to a playoff appearance in 2020, but the team no doubt looks improved on paper.
They’ll look to make good on their favorable playoff odds and exceed their win over/under with a successful 2020 season.
Next. Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft: Top WR target for each round. dark
But before they even begin to think about that, the NFL Draft awaits them in under a week.