After making the playoffs during the 2021 season, the Raiders took a step backward in 2022 with new head coach Josh McDaniels. But heading into Year 2 of his rebuild, the offense appears to have more depth and overall talent.
Will that be enough to get the Raiders back into the playoffs in the AFC? Or will they struggle to be competitive in arguably the deepest conference we’ve ever seen?
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they took a look at every team’s roster and win total for the 2023 season. The Raiders have a win total of 7.5 wins and PFF believes bettors should take the under on that line this season:
After letting Derek Carr go, the Raiders are taking a risk on Garoppolo being the difference-maker he couldn’t quite become in San Francisco. However, even if Garoppolo puts up a career year, this defense will keep the Raiders from doing more than sniffing a wild-card spot.
The offense should be really good for the Raiders this season as they have two All-Pro playmakers in Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams. But PFF is right to be skeptical of their defense.
The Raiders are hopeful that their pass rush can mask their problems in the secondary, but the defense as a whole just isn’t quite there. They would need multiple players to play above their heads in 2023 in order to get back to the playoffs. For that reason, taking the under 7.5 wins is probably the safe bet.
